Waking Up Falling
by notmanos
Summary: LoganAngel t.v. series crossover: The events of Lethe have Logan in a tailspin. But is he responsible for his rage?
1. Part 1

Disclaimer:The characters of Angel are owned by 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy;the character of Wolverine is also owned by 20th Century Fox and Marvel Comics.No copyright infringement intended. But Bob is my character - keep your hands off. 

N.B.: Takes place shortly after the "X Men" movie and during "Angel" season two. Directly after "Lethe". 

    WAKING UP FALLING 

    Prologue 

    "Hey,turn that back,I like that song,"Bratten protested,as Williams popped in a tape and banished the annoying drone of whoever the old guys on the radio were. 

"It's old:you're old,"Marc Williams replied,deliberately ribbing his partner as music-real music-began pouring from the tinny speakers in the back. 

Harvey Bratten frowned,wrinkling his swollen cauliflower of a nose in distaste as he took a heavy drag off his unfiltered cigarette,shifting his assault rifle to his lap."God,how can you listen to this brain rotting shit?I'll take 'Run Through The Jungle' over 'Welcome To The Jungle' anytime,"he sneered. 

Williams just turned up the Guns 'n' Roses and bobbed his head along happily,ignoring the disapproving grunt from Bratten as he steered the truck carefully along the serpentine mountain roads,the high beams cutting narrow tunnels of light in the ceaseless gloom.The roads appeared to be icing over,but the truck was built for that and could take it.If it started snowing like it did last night,they might be in trouble. 

It was insane:two feet of snow dumped in a single night.Williams was willing to bet some fucking mutant was behind it;he heard some could control the weather and shit like that.But these roads had been plowed,of course -all roads leading to the base had been cleared almost instantly. 

"Would you slow the fuck down?"Bratten snapped impatiently,reaching over to fiddle with the heater controls. "We ain't on a time constraint here." 

"I don't care,"he replied,deliberately taking a curve in the road too fast just to freak him out.Snowy banks appeared and disappeared on the sides of the road as the headlights quickly slewed about,the pines as tall and dark as telephone poles whenever their shadows bothered to distinguish themselves from the veil of night swallowing the landscape of the Canadian Rockies whole. 

"Do you give a shit about anything,Williams?"Bratten wondered,rolling down his window only enough to pitch his smoldering cigarette stub outside.It was too fucking cold to have it down for even that long. 

"Yep-killing mutants,"he said,which got a grunt of approval from Bratten as he quickly cranked his window shut. 

They had come to his favorite part in the song,so just to annoy Bratten a little more,Williams howled along as he took the next perilous curve."Welcome to the jungle,baby.You're going to die!" 

It was at the last syllable that became a loud,gravelly howl from Axl Rose that Williams saw movement jitter briefly in the sweeping beams of the headlights,and he noticed a shadow falling across the road ahead of them. A pine tree,toppled by the weight of the snow. 

"Shit!"He and Bratten shouted in unison,as Williams quickly stomped on the brakes. 

The truck continued its forward trajectory,the tires chewing gravel and skidding on what miniscule ice had already formed,and Williams grabbed the wheel suddenly and cranked it to the left,nosing them straight into a snowbank before they could hit the thick tree trunk blocking the road. 

They nosed in fairly hard,straining against their seatbelts before snapping back violently into their leather seats,but hitting snow head on was a hell of a lot softer than hitting a tree;even Williams had to reluctantly admit that to himself.Why hadn't he thought of that? 

The engined ticked noisily and Guns 'n' Roses kept raging until Bratten turned them off."You okay?"He wondered. 

"Yeah.You?" 

"Fine."Bratten then smacked him hard on the back of his head. 

"Hey!What the fuck was that for?!" 

"For driving like a fucking moron,"Bratten shot back angrily. 

Before Williams could tell him to go fuck himself,metal claws sprang through Brattan's door,and tore it right off its hinges. 

Williams let out a yelp of shock as Bratten raised his assault rifle,but silver flashed through the frigid night air and his weapon seemed to shatter,barrel and casing reduced to black shards that bounced inside the front cab like shrapnel as the thing-the man;a man with feral green eyes and ice crystals in his close cropped yet still wild beard-grabbed Bratten by the front of his jacket and threw him right out of the truck,somewhere beyond where Williams could see. 

Williams hastily undid his seatbelt and pulled his handgun as the man with three long claws growing straight from his hands turned his hateful,acrid gaze on him.As he made a move to climb across the seat,Williams leveled the handgun at his face and fired,point blank."Eat that,mutant,"he spat,more frightened than angry. The freak had to be a mutant-what else could he be?Normal people didn't have metal shit coming out of their hands. 

But something strange happened.He knew the bullet had hit him;he let out a grunt of pain and seemed to take a step back into the snow,but the bullet zinged around the cab like a ping pong ball.Williams felt it zoom an inch past his own face before it rocketed through the windshield,leaving a penny sized hole in the thick glass.What the fuck...had it ricocheted off his face? 

The man glared at him,and Williams swore he saw a glint of silver as the bullet hole in his left cheek suddenly closed up,like an eye shutting and sealing itself up."Have to do better than that,dickhead,"the man snarled, climbing up into the cab. 

Jesus fucking Christ-what the hell was he? 

Williams opened the door quickly and got out so fast he almost fell out,slipping across the pavement as he ran, reaching the edge of the road and looking down. 

In the pale moonlight,the snowy hillside looked almost blue,the shadows between the tress dark and fathomless, as bottomless as the middle of the ocean.Williams heard the mutant freak coming and pulled his gun again, even if it wouldn't do that much good,but the freak was in no hurry.He stalked towards him,shoulders up and head down,walking like a panther moving in slowly for the kill.The claws growing out of his hands glinted cold silver in the wan light of the crescent moon before velvet textured grey clouds scudded over it,blocking its light from view. 

Williams raised the gun,his hand shaking so bad he couldn't aim.""Who the fuck are you?"He demanded,his words exploding into white clouds in the freezing air. 

The man didn't answer.White vapor seemed to puff like steam from a dragon's mouth around him. 

"What do you want?"Williams demanded,trying again,and taking a step back into the deep furrow of snow where the roadway met the top of the hill.He felt a little slip down his boot,melting into his sock. 

"To see you all dead,"the man growled,vapor fuming out his flared nostrils and trailing behind him like the fragments of a ghost. 

Williams fired randomly,emptying his gun into the mutie,who staggered back a step but kept on coming,even as the bullets hit something metallic beneath his skin and caromed off,a spark briefly flashing on contact. 

He was so terrified he continued stepping back,and backed right off the edge of the hill. 

*** 

    Logan knew the dickhead was going to go right off the edge,but he didn't care.In fact,he thought it was kind of funny. 

He fired a final shot before he stepped back into air,the bullet just missing the right side of Logan's face (although not by much),and the beefy,thick faced man pinwheeled his arms comically before he let out a high pitched,reedy scream and disappeared over the edge,falling backwards like a reluctant skydiver. 

Logan ignored the ache in his body from the bullet wounds and looked over the edge of the slope as the man tumbled downhill,gathering flakes and speed like the world's largest snowball.For a while he made amusingly distressed noises,until he hit the first tree,and then he didn't make any noise at all. 

Logan heard crunching in the snow behind him,beyond the still idling truck,and in spite of the exhaust scent clogging his nostrils,he could still smell the fear sweat of the other soldier.Was he going to try and flank him? Sneak up to the truck and grab another weapon,try and take him down? 

Oh god,he hoped so. 

He wanted a fight so bad his skin felt like it was ready to crawl off his body just to get away from his tensed muscles.He was aware he still hurt from the bullet impacts,and his nose was painfully cold,ice crystals gathering in his eyelashes.If he'd be a normal human,he may have been in danger of suffering a minor case of frostbite or hypothermia,but he was neither.He was the Wolverine,and he could survive anything these assholes wanted to throw at him. 

But as Logan came around the large olive drab military truck,it was clear the crunching was leading in the opposite direction,and he could see from the imprints in the snow and the fading away of both human scent and sound that the other soldier,the one he tossed out like a bag of garbage,had decided discretion was the better part of valor and fled like a motherfucking coward.He'd probably die out there in the cold and the snow, as there was miles and miles of nothing out here,and it was at least six hours until dawn. 

Amazingly,he couldn't seem to care.He was only sorry he decided not to fight. 

Logan checked the cab of the truck,opening the glove box and finding nothing but a road map of Southern Alberta (not so much folded as wadded up and compressed),a fifth of Wild Turkey (one third empty),a pack of crumpled Marlboros with three cigarettes inside,a pair of gloves,and a paralyzer.After thinking about it a moment,he grabbed the paralyzer and put it in his pocket.Souvenir. 

Pulling out the last fragment of one of his better cigars,he paused to light it and took a deep drag of the warm smoke into his cold lungs,exhaling it out his nose.At least his respiratory tract felt warmer;the rest of him needed work.Even inside his boots and hiking socks,his toes felt as cold as his nose,ready to freeze solid and fall off,rattle around his boots like dice.But while the freezing could happen,the falling off-hell,the dying- wouldn't.Staring out at the blue-white snowy vistas around him,the sky above him a dark webbing of grey clouds obscuring the moon,which was no more than a hazy bright spot overhead,he wondered if he could die a natural death;if there would ever come a time when his body said "Enough" and simply quit.What was the time limit?A century?A millenia?An eon?Would he live long enough to watch the universe itself collapse and die,long after all other life had been snuffed out?Was it remotely possible that he would be the last thing to go? 

What a frightening thought.And it proved he'd been waiting out here too long-he needed a drink. 

But before he returned to where he had stashed his bike,he decided to see what these fucks had in their truck. 

The back was locked,of course,but it was nothing for him to pop his claws again and rip the door open.He then stuck his head inside and had a peek. 

It was too dark to really see anything,but he smelled decay and blood;even in the preserving cold,there was a hint of decomposition slowing but not completely stopping.That,and the scent of plastic. 

Climbing inside,he slashed a bigger hole to let in what little ambient light there was,and he could finally see what his nose had told him:there was nothing in this trucks but body bags. 

He unzipped a couple just to have a look at the contents.There were no familiar faces,but it was clear from the smell they had all been mutants,and most had been killed with gunfire.He found the body of a boy no more than twelve with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead,open eyes frozen over and opaque,skin as white as the snow outside. 

Why dead mutants?Well hell,even the cops couldn't ignore a dead body,mutants or not;they had to take their crimes with them,and then cover them up by incineration,or some other method of mass corpse disposal. 

Logan knew he should be angry,but that felt used up,spent;now he was just cold. 

He sat on the tailgate of the corpsemobile and took the last puffs off his cigar,wondering where he could get a mass quantity of napalm.There had to be a market for it,but where? 

Tired of freezing his ass off,he decided to get going.As he walked past the truck,he popped a single claw,and punctured the side of the truck.He could smell the gasoline spilling out of the reserve tank,puddling beneath the truck before drizzling down the icy road.He retracted his claw as he walked away,and waited until he had climbed the fallen trunk of the tree he had slashed down before taking a final look at the truck.It looked so homely and fucking harmless;hard to believe it was part of the war machine. 

As he jumped off the trunk to the opposite side of the road,he tossed the butt of his cigar over his shoulder. 

The first explosion was massive,seemingly reverberating off the high peaks and shaking snow from the trees as the noise and wall of heat seemed funneled down the narrow road,but even while the raging wall of heat driven wind buffeted Logan's back,he barely even noticed it. 

He had straddled the bike and kick started it by the time of the second explosion,when what little was left of the truck was rocketed into the sky on a huge red-orange fireball that lit up the sky like dawn. 

Watching the flames roil up and dissipate,finally settling into a smaller but consistent fire spread for meters in all directions over the no longer icy road,he remembered how both he and Naomi were almost killed when a gas station went up,and how maybe it would have been better if they had both incinerated.Or at least him. 

As he drove away,into the frigid night,he hoped the dickheads behind it all took it as a challenge,because that's the message he wanted to send. 

And he was ready to make good on that challenge.Or die trying. 

    1 

    By the time Logan woke up,the sun was setting,and his mattress had been shredded:sharp tips of metal springs stuck up through the gashes,which were full of white cotton padding like clotted blood in a wound.He had woken up with a jolt,sure something terrible was happening,but he had no specific memory of what,just a vague sense of terror that was his constant companion in sleep.He didn't remember popping his claws either, but the skin of his knuckles were still red,and of course who else could have made these gashes?Had a tiger escaped from the zoo? 

It was getting worse.He didn't know why,unless it was his recent trip back there,or what happened to Naomi, or both.All he knew was the night terrors were more violent,longer,and yet his mind seemed to shy away from retaining any memory of it at all.And all the furniture in the vicinity was suffering. 

He had to peel what was left of the shredded sheets off of him,as he had apparently been sweating like a pig,and his throat felt dry,raw,making him wonder if he had screamed.But if he had,why hadn't that woken him up?Maybe it had;he just didn't remember. 

That was the wonderful thing about fleabag hotels-nobody gave a fuck.You could be slicing up a family of twelve in your room with a chainsaw,and everyone pretended they didn't hear a damn thing.Of course,the manager would be steamed about the ripped up mattress,but hell,he'd be long gone by the time he noticed it. 

He tried to take a shower,but the pipes had frozen during the night,so he got little more than a trickle of water from the old showerhead,and had to settle with washing his face in the sink and rubbing the sweat off his chest and back with a damp towel. 

For a moment he found himself staring at his own reflection in the water in the rust stained porcelain sink,and he felt something like revulsion,fear making his stomach spasm like he might vomit.He wondered why until he suddenly remembered- 

-looking up through green tinted water,warm as flesh and cloying as damp cloth,feeling the scalpels slice into his leg as he realized that while he couldn't move,he also couldn't breathe:there was no oxygen mask this time.They were punishing him for something-dear god,what did he do to deserve this?-and he couldn't help but scream as they sliced open his thigh,peeling back the flesh like they were skinning him,and as he did, wasting what little air he had,his lungs involuntarily pulled in a breath...but there was no air to be had. Sucking in a lungful of chemically tainted and blood infused water,his lungs seemed to freeze, paralyzed,the pain of water flooding his windpipe akin to swallowing acid,and he heard nothing but his heart pounding frantically in his ears,needing oxygen,trying to pull it from a bloodstream that had very little left.In his mind he was panicking,clawing at the walls,wanting air,needing to breathe:god,he needed air,couldn't they see he was suffocating?He needed air!But he was drowning;chained down to a board in a tank and drowning as they flayed him open and drove something into his bones,something hard and beyond any traditional notion of pain.But even that seemed like nothing as his vision went from green to red to black,they pain in his heaving lungs far greater than anything they could do to him with surgical equipment.He didn't want to die,not like this,but maybe now the pain would stop;god,anything,just make it stop. 

Five minutes later,he woke up again- 

It was instinctive,atavistic-he unleashed his claws and smashed it down at the sink,shattering it like spun glass.The warm water splashed his legs as fragments of porcelain skittered across the stained and torn green linoleum of the bathroom floor like broken teeth. 

He wanted to rip the entire room apart;he wanted to destroy everything and everyone he came across.He was so full of rage and hate he was shaking,and couldn't retract his claws.He could swear he could still feel his lungs burning from inhaling water,starving for air and never getting it. 

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror,wild eyed and looking-frankly-insane,and he looked away,making himself take deep breaths until his heart stopped its frantic pounding.He swallowed back his rising gorge, trying desperately to tamp down the black rage overwhelming him,filling his ears with white noise. 

He leaned against the wall and slid down it,chips of porcelain cutting into his skin,and finally retracted his claws,watching them disappear inside his hands,the bloody slashes of their emergence quickly healing shut as he watched,leaving no trace of blood. 

He thought of Shrike,of how the single claw that emerged from his hand bled because he couldn't heal fast enough,and how he laughed and said he was made to kill:"A killing machine,"he had cackled. 

Maybe it was high past time he lived up to what they had made him;but instead of killing for them he'd kill them.That had been his intention all along,but he knew he had been hedging,reluctant to take on an entire base for fear that,like last time,they'd be ready for him.But this sniper shit-these commando raids of taking out single trucks,single unsuspecting units-was making that possibility worse,wasn't it?They knew he was out there,and they knew he was hunting them.Was he not sabotaging himself along with them? 

Logan knew something deep inside him was holding him back,but he also knew that memory had broke down the final wall.He was ready to kill them all,to watch the light in their eyes fade out and feel their blood on his hands.They loved to torture him,to see how many times they could hang him from the edge of death and watch him come back anyways-he wondered how much enjoyment they got from knowing Naomi had lost ten years of her life. 

He hoped they got a good buzz off of it.Because it would be their last. 

*** 

    He entered the bar,seeing nothing new,and was vaguely disappointed.He didn't know what he had hoped for, but obviously the criteria hadn't been met. 

A veritable orgy of dark wood and brass,leather padding and low lighting,the bar was like a thousand he had been in before,except the crowd skewed a bit younger here,and the beers were fancier and pricer.The music was different too,contemporary hard rock as opposed to country or oldies of questionable status.As he waited for his overpriced beer at the bar,guitars raged in the background,a man singing angrily,"Praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed..." 

Oh yeah-this was his kind of place. 

He heard noise erupt from a corner table in the back,beyond the red felt pool table that looked more decorative than used,and noticed a small crowd,mostly young men but a few women,drunk by the sound of their raucous cheering and heedlessly loud voices. 

Logan took a deep pull off his beer before he wandered over to have a look at what they were doing. 

Before he got too close,a couple of the people around the table noticed him,gave him dismissive or disdainful stares before looking away.But one woman near the back,with bloody red lips,long raven black hair,and eyes so dark they looked almost as black,quirked an eyebrow at him,and gave him a curious,interested smile.Yeah,next to all the dipshits in here,he probably looked real good. 

The geeks were gathered around a not so impromptu arm wrestling contest,with a substantial yet still piddling pile of money in the center of the table.As he looked,a guy who couldn't have been more than twenty two  pinned down the arm of a bigger,older guy (twenty five).But that guy looked normal;the younger guy was some steroided out weightlifting freak,with arms as big and lumpy as pythons after a meal at the rabbit hutch.He let out a triumphant whoop as he swept the money towards him,his group of drunken friends cheering along with him.The younger boy standing behind him-surely too young to be in the bar legally-with the same dishwater brown hair and macrocephalic,thick build,locked his sunken blue eyes on Logan,and said,"Wanna give it a shot,Wolfman?" 

His friends laughed,while the steroid goon looked up at Logan,his grey blue eyes bright with obvious disdain."I don't know,hairy.I'd hate to hurt you.Sometimes I don't know my own strength." 

He had been willing to let it go until then.The guy was so haughty,so full of himself-he thought he was the hottest piece of shit around here,didn't he?-that Logan felt an instinctive,natural urge to teach him a fucking lesson. 

Logan straddled the now empty chair across from him,and pulled out a wad of bills that he threw on the table without bothering to count.Since he was going to get it all back,who cared how much it was?"I'm shaking,"he deadpanned,meeting the boy's flat,beer glazed eyes.Logan almost felt bad about taking his money;the goon's pseudo-brush cut had gone to seed,and it was clear he needed the money for a new haircut.He transfered his beer bottle to his right hand,as there was no need to set it down.Those loitering around the table thought that was funny. 

Logan held up his left arm,and the goon held up his,chuckling slightly,as one of his drunken friends said,in a loud voice never intended to be a whisper,"Ah,here's some easy money." 

"Break his arm off Jake,"a drunken women called from somewhere behind Logan.It wasn't the black haired beauty,though;she was standing off to his left,and still throwing appreciative glances his way. 

Jake grasped his hand and squeezed it far harder than necessary;intimidation,or a genuine attempt to hurt his hand (cheating,in other words-oh,real fucking cute).But of course,it didn't hurt him,and he saw just a hint of confusion-and fear-play over Jake's face as Logan grinned,and one of Jake's buddies said,"Go!" 

Logan let him have a few seconds-he let him incrementally push his arm down,watching the muscles bunch and the rope like veins pop in Jake's monstrously drug enhanced arm,sweat beading on his forehead as confidence flooded his piggy eyes once more. 

Then Logan let him have it. 

He shoved Jake's arm down to the table with about five times more force than necessary.The table shattered as he slammed his hand down,the spindly wooden legs giving way first,cracking in half like pencils.Jake himself almost fell forward onto the ruins of the table until his brother (?) and a friend grabbed his massive shoulders and pulled him back,holding him in the chair."Motherfucking Christ!"Jake howled,holding his left hand between his knees."I think he broke my fucking hand!" 

"Sorry about that,"Logan said insincerely,as he scooped up the money from the tabletop on the floor.As he got up,several of Jake's buddies stepped back."Sometimes I don't know my own strength." 

He walked back towards the bar,shoving the money in his pocket,and all the drunken yahoos gave him a wide berth,all the boisterous joy sucked out of the group by Jake's triumphant failure.He heard someone say quietly, "Maybe he is the Wolfman." 

The bartender-an older guy with silver hair but lots of that hard fat you see on guys who were street fighters as opposed to pretty boys who hung out at the gym (like Jake back there)-eyed him warily,but made no move to kick him out yet.But he was welcome to try.Logan really wanted a good,nasty fight.The tension building inside of him was so incredible he thought he might snap. 

"I know he's a blowhard,but he's not always that obnoxious,"a woman said,sliding on to the stool beside him.It was the black haired woman who had eyed him before;now she was openly appraising him,and clearly impressed at his humiliation of Jake."Still,he was kinda askin' for it,wasn't he?" 

"Kinda,"he agreed,appraising her.Not a bad body;a little younger (twenty two?) than he usually liked them,but hell,fighting wasn't the only way to release a little pent up energy,was it? 

"I'm Ruthie,"she offered,smiling,turning towards him on the bar stool.She leaned her elbow on the highly polished bar,and rested the side of her face in her palm.Although she was trying to be coy,she was so obviously attracted to him it was almost funny.But he wasn't laughing. 

"Logan,"he offered,then after having a swig of his beer,held the bottle up."Want a beer,Ruthie?" 

"I'll just have a drink of yours,"she said,and he held out the bottle.As she took it,her fingers deliberately brushing his,she asked,"So Logan,are you a martial arts guy or something?" 

"Or something." 

She smiled at him as she took a swig of the beer,and then gave him back the bottle."Does that mean you are a 'wolf man'?" 

"Do I look like a wolf?"He replied,taking back the bottle. 

She gave him a sensuous smile,full crimson lips curving back into something half way between a grin and an amused smirk. 

"No.You look dangerous.I like that." 

He finished the rest of the beer in a single gulp,and slid the empty bottle aside as he swiveled to face her,his eyes meeting hers unflinchingly."Let's cut the bullshit,Ruthie.Wanna get outta here?" 

She sat up,trying to assumed a shocked posture,but she couldn't stop smiling,and he wasn't fooled for a moment.Young or not,she was no innocent;she'd been around."And go where?" 

"I don't know.Where do you wanna go?" 

She made a show of thinking about it,her black eyes sparkling with mischief."Back to my place?" 

That was pretty much the answer he was expecting. 

*** 

    Logan jolted awake,but it was more due to disorientation than anything else. 

It took him a moment to remember who he was and where he was,but he always did. Sleep was like an unwelcome journey that could lead him anywhere,but usually to some place he didn't want to be. 

He was in a slightly lumpy bed with a woman sleeping beside him,her back turned to him.Ruthie,right,that was her name.He gave her a cursory glance,making sure he hadn't clawed her in his sleep-no,she looked okay,and he didn't smell any blood;in fact it sounded like she was very faintly snoring-then got out of bed,finding only his boxer shorts on the threadbare tan carpet,in the pale blue half light of encroaching dawn bleeding through the fragile ivory curtains. 

He found the rest of his clothes-and hers as well-strewn out in a trail leading down the narrow corridor separating the front room from the bedroom.A twelve foot walk at best. 

He dressed in his clothes as he found them,finding his coat on the living room floor and his shirts spread haphazardly on the tatty lime green sofa that made up the bulk of the furniture in the living room/kitchen.It was a tiny,sad apartment over a sporting goods shop,which probably explained the faint scent of paraffin.But mostly the place smelled human,and he hadn't really realized it before,but as he pulled on his black t-shirt and shrugged on his brown flannel shirt,he knew he didn't want to be here because humans gave him the creeps. 

Well,'normal' humans-you couldn't trust them.When they figured out you weren't really one of them,they  freaked out,and had a tendency to treat you like you were the monster. 

Of course,he wouldn't have been surprised if Ruthie had guessed he was a mutant and was attracted to him for that reason:there was that human minority that liked the novelty and 'thrill' of fucking a 'freak'.Which didn't really bother him as long as it got him laid every now and then. 

He left the apartment via its outside staircase on the side of the building opposite the street,and even though the sun hadn't completely risen yet,he could see that it would be a clear day,sunny but bitter cold.He zipped up his leather jacket in a vain attempt to ward off the bitter chill,as the air bit into his skin like it was made of jagged shards of glass.He guessed it to be in the low twenties,but maybe that was generous. 

As he returned to his bike,parked in a hollow of shadow in a connecting alleyway,he finally pinpointed what was wrong:he was still tense.Sex should have relaxed him,at least somewhat,but no,he felt even more keyed up than before.Maybe it was because she was human,and therefore fragile;and also,she didn't know what he was. Or if she did she never said it,never even hinted at it (of course,when did she have time to). 

Clearly he was not going to relax-to 'be at peace'-until he killed those fuckers up in the mountains.All he needed was a decent map of the base's layout,and a couple dozen pounds of napalm or maybe Semtex,and bam, problem solved. 

As he started the bike,he wondered where the hell he was going to go.He checked out of his last hotel room because he figured as soon as the maids saw what had happened to the bed and the bathroom sink the manager would have a cow and quote him some outrageous price for damages.And he needed the money he had for bribes and weaponry. 

Logan just randomly picked a direction,something that would take him closer to the mountains,and drove off, hoping he could find what he needed,and get this done before his own rage killed him. 

    2 

    Logan ended up at a cheap hotel undergoing renovations,so it was a torn up mess,ensuring not only did he have the place all to himself (and a suite,in a way-two normal rooms connected together,because one still had a bed,while the other had a functional bathroom and a couple pieces of furniture),but any damage he did could be blamed on the renovators.It couldn't have worked out better,at least in that sense.  



	2. Part 2

The town itself was a little disappointing,although he got a lead on a black marketeer named Erasmus who might be able to hook him up with what he needed,but only tonight,and only at some little cess pit of a bar named Sully's.Now all he had to do was kill time until tonight,which was a hell of a lot easier said than done. 

It was a clear day,so sunny it was almost painful,but the sun seemed to offer no warmth,and the air remained still and cold,as if it had somehow been frozen.Which was just how he felt. 

At some point he stopped off and had a burger and a beer,because he couldn't remember the last time he ate.He had no appetite to speak of,but he knew even he'd wear down if he didn't eat.He might be technically indestructible,but even he could get weak.He regretted eating too,because it seemed to sit in his stomach like a ball of lead,and he didn't feel better for having done so.He supposed he should go back to the hotel and catch some sleep before tonight,but he remained too keyed up to rest. 

But by the time mid-afternoon rolled around,he returned to the hotel after a trip to buy some cigars and a bottle of scotch to keep him hydrated.As he parked the bike,he got a sense he was being watched. 

And when the wind shifted,he couldn't believe his nose. 

"Hello Logan,"Jean said,emerging from the shadows beneath the awning of the front of the hotel. 

The hotel was a sprawling 'motor lodge' sort of thing-a single level,rooms bracketing a large and unscenic parking lot-and the lot was mostly empty,with only his bike,the manager's car,and the van of  some local painter's (sadly,he could smell the turpentine on the wind).But he could smell Jean too;she wore a light perfume,probably faint to her and others,but he could smell that musk rich scent a mile away. 

She looked out of place in this dingy little town too:as elegant as always in a red cashmere sweater and slim black pants,she also wore more climate practical black boots and a long,fleece lined black coat that looked about one size too large, swamping her like a cloak.But she made it work. 

And he couldn't think of another person he wanted to see less right now. 

"What are you doing here?"He asked as he got off his bike,looking around for any of the other so called 'X Men'.But he didn't smell them,so Jean was alone-well,theoretically.He bet that insecure dickhead of a boyfriend was keeping tabs on her via binoculars...well,monocular? 

Jean dug her hands in the pocket of her coat as she crossed the parking lot,her long red hair loose and framing her face as if she was using it to try and keep warm.He couldn't blame her if she was."The Professor is concerned about you."After a pause,she added,"And so am I." 

"Wow,Jean,that almost sounded sincere,"he sneered,digging his hotel key out of his coat pocket.Like he needed this bullshit right now. 

She frowned at him,but in a mild,disapproving sort of way.Couldn't let our emotions get the better of us,could we?"It is sincere,Logan,whether you like it or not." 

"Fine,whatever.You've shared your feelings,so you can go home now."He walked away,towards his matching rooms,brown bagged bottle of scotch tucked under his arm.Just having her around seemed to make the muscles in his back and neck tighten until he thought they might snap.He didn't need this right now.Why didn't people just leave him the fuck alone? 

"I can't do that." 

"What?The Boy Scout fly off without you?Or you just can't live without me?"Of course the key had to be sticky in the lock.Just as he was about to slash the door down,the lock clicked over and he was able to get in.He could sense her approach, it felt like an itch between his shoulder blades,and it made him want to scream in frustration.He considered slamming the door shut in her face,but she was close enough to prop it open with her hand before he was all the way inside.Maybe she caught his thought.Fucking telepaths. 

"Logan..."she paused,sounded tired."I know something happened to you and Naomi that you're not saying." 

"Oh,so you're jealous,"he replied,keeping his back to her as he tossed his hotel key on the slab of wood currently making do as a coffee table. 

"Those men who...hurt you captured you again,Logan.You can't say that-" 

"Hurt me?"He interrupted,turning to face her.Although she had come in the room,she was still by the door,as if afraid to get any closer.For the first time,he noticed she wasn't wearing any make up:her face was pale,her lips thin and ashen from the cold,and dark rings encircled her warm brown eyes.She looked weary beyond the telling of it,making him wonder if she had been up all night.But she still looked as beautiful as always,and that irritated him more for some reason."I've been hurt a lot, babe.Those guys didn't hurt me:they tortured me for the sheer hell of it for a very long time.So what else were you going to say?" 

She met his eyes,and flinched slightly at the anger she must have seen there.Well,that wasn't his fucking fault;he didn't ask her to come."Logan,we're just concerned about you." 

"Concerned?"He let out a humorless chuckle."Where were you when those fucks had me?" 

She glanced down at the plaster dusted carpet-his best guess was it was sort of smokey grey at one time-clearly chagrined."We didn't know." 

"No,of course not.He can use that Cerebro thing to track me down here,but he couldn't use it to find me in a mutant hall of horrors?"He slammed down the bottle of scotch on a nightstand working as an end table with enough force to make the ugly ceramic lamp on it jump about a half inch.He was probably lucky he hadn't shattered the bottle. 

"He didn't know to look." 

"But he knows to look now,long after the fact,when it does me no fucking good at all.If it wasn't for Angel and Naomi I might still be in there.So thanks so fucking much,but the mutant calvary is too late.Message delivered.Now go away." 

"Not without you." 

"Wanna bet on that?"He snarled,glaring at her. 

But Jean crossed her arms across her chest and held her ground."He didn't tell me exactly what he saw in Cerebro last night, but it left him shaken.You're in a bad place,Logan.Let us help." 

"A bad place?"He snorted derisively."What?Wanna get a room at the Hilton with me,Jean?Tired of being disappointed by the one eyed goody two shoes and wanting a real man for once?" 

Her frowned deepened,eyes narrowing,but not before she took an actual second to think about it.He knew it."You know what I mean,Logan.The Professor is concerned you're heading down the same path Erik ended up on." 

"Erik?"It took him a moment to place the name."Magneto?"He couldn't help but scoff."You can tell him I ain't interested in ruling the world.Goodbye." 

"I can understand that you want revenge,Logan,but you're leaving yourself open to attack.They know you're out here.Please come back to the mansion with me.You need to cool down and think about this before it goes too far." 

"Before?"He repeated incredulously."So cutting me open wasn't far enough?" 

She winced and briefly looked away."Logan-" 

"You saw it,Jean,"he hissed,and she glanced up at him,eyes widening in surprise."When you read my mind,I didn't know then what you saw,but I think I do now.You saw what they did to me,didn't you?But you didn't see it all;you saw a fraction of what they did to me.But you've guessed that,haven't you?"He knew he had her;she looked shaken,and he could smell the fear coming from her.She didn't like to think about it?Well,too fucking bad."You wanna keep them from getting me again?Join me-stop letting the Professor and Scott hold you back.You're better than that and you know it.Help me.They are doing this to other mutants,and they will keep doing it until somebody stops them.Do you really want to turn a blind eye to it because they're human?" 

For a long moment he held her gaze,and he knew she was considering it.Unlike the others,she had seen it-and felt it-for herself and knew what they had done,and what they were still doing.But just when he thought he got through to the real Jean-not that uptight 'good girl' who was concerned about what everyone else thought,about making a 'good impression' on behalf of all mutants everywhere-she closed her eyes and shook her head."It's more complicated than that,Logan,and you know it.Until we find the source of the problem,you can only destroy all the bases you want,but they'll simply pop up elsewhere.And whether you know it or not,your one man war is hurting other mutants as well as people.I know you, Logan- you don't really want to hurt anyone.You-" 

"You don't know me at all."He snapped,glaring at her angrily as she finally dared to open her eyes.Looking at him was just too tempting,huh?"You don't even know yourself.So don't deign to tell me who I am and what I want.Either join me or get the fuck out." 

Her gaze hardened,and it was kind of a thrill to see her express some actual passion;she was so reserved,and just to make other people happy."We don't want to have to fight you,Logan." 

He grunted in amusement,never breaking away from her challenging stare."Because you couldn't fight me.I'd kick all your asses and you know it." 

"Logan,I'm serious." 

"So am I."He ripped off his jacket and threw it aside before holding out his arms at his sides and popping his claws,the familiar pain of them tearing through the knuckles almost welcome.It was nice to feel something beyond the usual dull menu of rage and hopelessness.Jean flinched again,shocked that he'd actually done that,but that was the problem with the damn X Men:so fucking reserved,always holding back."Think I can't,Jean?Think I won't?" 

"Stop this,Logan,"she said,her voice a whisper thick with despair and fear. 

He started stalking towards her,across the nearly empty room."That's your problem;that's all your problem.You fear.I don't.And that's how I'll beat you all." 

She raised her hand palm towards him,as if threatening to use her telekinesis,but he didn't feel anything,and saw nothing but trepidation in her eyes.She didn't want to 'hurt' him-as if she really honestly could.He stopped where he was,grinning at her.He wondered if he pushed her far enough if he'd get to see the real Jean,and not the Professor's lap dog." Go home,Jean. Go back to your mansion and your safe little boyfriend and your safe little life,and stay the fuck out of mine."He snapped, retracting his claws and instantly pivoting towards the connecting door to the rest of the room.He stormed through it,into the bedroom,and slammed the door behind him. 

Damn it,he left the scotch in the other room.Well,as soon as she tucked tail and ran,he'd go get it. 

He was half way across the room when the door exploded open.He turned quickly to see Jean standing in the doorway,and in that second an invisible force seemed to hit him,knocking him off his feet and slamming him hard into the far wall,pinning him against it as loose flakes of plaster salted down from the ceiling. 

He stared at her,trying to move,but it felt like a two ton weight was pressing against his chest.Jean walked into the room, hand raised towards him,and the anger in her eyes was white hot,making them smolder like embers.She started towards him, but stopped about eight feet away,her lips thinned to a grim line."You're in pain,Logan.I know that,I understand that.But you don't have a corner on the market.And by sharing that pain with others you are not helping yourself;you're making it worse." 

"Kill me or don't,but spare me the lecture."He growled,actually a little impressed.Jean had balls;well,she was about the only X Men that did,although Xavier had his moments. 

"Do you feel better yet?"She continued,ignoring him."Have the nightmares stopped since you started doing this,Logan?" 

"Shut up."The pressure on his chest was easing a bit-when it came down to it,could she really hurt him?Did Jean have the balls to try and kill him?Try being the operative word,of course. 

The anger in her eyes was dying,replaced by pity,which infuriated him,but he thought he saw something else as well,although he wasn't sure what it was.It was probably just that she had the hots for him,whether she'd admit it or not."Is this solving your problems,Logan?Is this going to give Naomi her memories back?" 

"Shut the fuck up!"He spat angrily,Naomi's name hitting him like a baseball bat to the gut.How dare she throw out her name like a weapon. 

Jean looked confused,dark brows drawing downward,and she lowered her hand,the pressure dying and finally falling away completely."She meant something to you,didn't she?I'm sorry Logan,I didn't know." 

"Come on,Jean,make up your mind-do you want to fuck or fight?'Cause I'm game for either."He was happy to be back on his feet and breathing again,but that little demonstration just proved he could kill all the X Men if he wanted to:showing pity or mercy on an opponent was a drastic sign of weakness. 

Anger flared in her eyes once more,but it quickly died,replaced with even more pity.It was like a slap to the face."I'm a telepath-do you think I don't know what you're doing?" 

"Foreplay?" 

She scowled at him."Trying to shove me away.I know you're not accustomed to asking for help,but we're your friends and we want to help.Let us." 

"Help?But you don't really want to help me.If you did,you'd be helping me find and destroy the base right now,rather than play with me."And in that second he darted across the room,coming to a stop right in front of her and putting his fist level with her face,maybe eight inches away.She gasped in shock and jumped back,but he held his ground and glared at her,fist frozen in place."If I popped my claws,I would have killed you,"he pointed out coldly."Unlike you,I don't play." 

He saw the blur of the lamp out of the corner of his eye and lashed out his hand,unleashing his claws and shattering it before it could get within an inch of his face,but he never looked away from Jean,whose eyes widened once more.It was her turn to be impressed."You use your powers against me,you mean it."He growled through gritted teeth."Because I will." 

She began to back up slowly towards the door,hand held up as if to ward him off.But if she used her powers again,he knew she wouldn't really hurt him;she couldn't.She had a 'soft spot' for him.And it was a shame too,because she was the only one of her measly group that had even a chance of killing him,at least in a permanent sense,although he had his doubts about that."Logan,stop this." 

Some small part of him was ashamed of himself;he didn't want to hurt Jean.He never wanted to hurt her,or scare her as badly as he was now.But he couldn't stop himself;he was so angry he had to get some of it out before it killed him.He really thought it would if he kept it all bottled up."Read my mind,Jean.You want to know me,see what else they did to me?Read my mind." 

Her eyes grew impossibly wide in terror:she had seen a bit of it once,and she did not want to live through it again.She backed up a little faster now,putting more space between them."Logan,you have to stop.You're killing yourself.Can't you see that?" 

"I don't die-don't you see that?You can vivisect me and use my internal organs for fucking party favors and I will be able to get up and join you,"he snarled bitterly,following her into the next room,continuing to stalk her as she backed towards the door."Come on,Jean.Read my mind.What are you afraid of?Afraid you'll become like me?" 

There were genuine tears in her eyes as she reached the door,which had opened for her."Logan,what's happened to you?"She asked,standing in the doorway,letting in cold air and the acrid sting of paint thinner. 

In some distant part of himself,he felt terrible for doing this to her.He knew she meant well,that she wanted to help,and maybe by sending her away he was blowing everything,but he couldn't stop himself.Besides,he had gone too far to back out now,and he had no real desire to do so,just some vestigial tug of guilt that simply had no place in his life right now."I remembered,"he growled,and as soon as he was within reach of the door,slammed it shut on her face. 

He took a deep breath,glad to be alone finally,but in the same instant,he felt slightly ill.Something irrevocable had just happened,but he wasn't sure what. 

He had a feeling he'd eventually find out,though.For good and for bad. 

*** 

    Jean Grey stared at the peeling paint of the ivory door,and had to take a few steadying breaths as she turned away,feeling unsteady on her feet. 

She had always known Logan was dangerous;that was a strange part of his appeal.But he had been a decision away from actually killing her.He hadn't just been trying to scare her,although it was clear that was the initial intent.But at some point his emotions had swept him away,and he had almost done it.Something stopped him,but it had been a near thing,a thing she could not count on to make a second appearance. 

Of course,she could just throw him through a wall-a hard enough knock would cause his brain to collide with the walls of his skull and put him out for a while.But only a while;Logan always got back up again.If he was serious about doing her harm, she'd have to kill him,and she didn't think she could do that.Telekinetically yes;emotionally no. 

She walked across the parking lot and leaned against the painter's van,trying to get her jumbled emotions under control and swallow back the tears and the lump in her throat.She wanted to hate him,and frankly she was furious enough to put him through every wall in this run down hotel that was still standing,but at the same time,she was almost paralyzed with empathy.  
Logan was so distraught and swamped with pain he was drowning in it;the one thing he'd always had,the one thing he could count on and count as truly his was anger,so of course that would be his first response to anything,especially a pain he could not handle,and didn't know how to end.As he himself as said,he got hurt a lot-but at some point he could stop it,or it just stopped.But not this,and not now. 

And she desperately wanted to help him;as angry as she was at him,she couldn't help but want to ease his pain somehow.She couldn't imagine how much he had suffered,or the extent of what they had done to him.It was like they killed a little bit of his soul,one excruciating inch at a time. 

(And she could remember the jumble of images she pulled from his mind,like from a nightmarish fever dream,and they were bad-and confusing- enough.Worse were the feelings:being paralyzed and helpless,of drowning and being frozen,like an insect in amber,and then the pain of flesh being sliced by metal,cold and hard,and then being pulled,as if they were trying to yank both skin and muscle from the bone...which is probably exactly what they were doing...) 

She shook the memory away,shoving it back into the far corner of her mind and desperately swallowed back her rising gorge.  
The first time she really tried to concentrate and sift through the memories she had picked up from Logan-out of his subconscious,apparently,close to the surface of his mind but not by much (well,she hadn't wanted to read his conscious' mind,now had she?She had no desire to see his surely pornographic thoughts of her-she had seen enough of those from others to last her a lifetime)-away from him and everybody,she had vomited just trying to make sense out of them.They were too intense,and too much.And if the memory of pain wasn't bad enough (and it was-she had never felt pain like that in her life,could not imagine one living being doing that to another),what really pushed her over the edge was the fear and helplessness he felt-he could do nothing to stop it.He knew they were doing something unimaginably inhumane and grotesque to him,but they had robbed him of his ability to fight back in any way;all he could do was scream. 

But she had caught something,a fragment of his thoughts at the time.Most were incoherent,as you might expect of someone undergoing involuntary surgery without anesthetic,but there was a litany of hysterical yet grimly determined thoughts that remained constant,as long as he could think through the pain-"I'm getting out of here and I'm killing you I'm getting out of here and I'm killing you". 

No wonder he was acting out in rage now:it was the only thing that kept him alive and kept him sane,so now it was his default coping mechanism.But while it worked there-Alkali Lake or whatever it was actually called-it just didn't work here,in the real world.But her mistake was in trying to reason with a man who was literally crazed with pain.He was beyond reason right now.He was beyond a lot of things,and she wasn't sure how to reach him,save for putting him through a wall,and in that case she would have to kill him.He was right:with Logan,you got one chance.And if you blew it,he recovered and came for you.Logan almost always healed and came back at you before you were ready for him. 

And just thinking about what they had done to him made her almost angry enough to join him. 

But no,that wasn't logical;it was an ultimately meaningless quest for revenge that would solve no problems and cause many more.If Logan was just rational for a moment he'd be able to see that.But he was acting from an emotional standpoint,not a logical one (which was sort of attractive,wasn't it?That was the refreshing thing about him.He was raw,all on the surface with his feelings;untamed,in a way.It was sort of thrilling...in a strange way.She could never explain that to Scott,but she thought maybe the Professor knew-why else did he ask her to try and talk some sense into Logan?) and she didn't know how to shift him into a more rational viewpoint.She wasn't sure it was possible. 

But Logan could not be allowed to keep waging war and hurting people,even killing them.She knew there might be no choice but to stop him.But how? 

("You fear.I don't.And that's how I'll beat you all.") 

She was afraid he was right;even she hesitated to hurt him,even though she knew she couldn't hurt him for long (he would recover;he always did).He had just suffered so much,and was suffering again right now-how could she add to that? 

But he could have killed her.He demonstrated that quite clearly:to let your guard down for a second was to invite death. 

If it came down to it,maybe the urge to live would be enough of a motive to hurt him,to kill him if necessary-but how did you kill him?Storm could hit him with a lightning bolt,and Scott could disintegrate most of his body...but he'd probably survive both,wouldn't he?Rogue could probably kill him if she got her hands on him long enough,but she loved Logan (or at least thought she did),and would not ever turn against him.Leaving her. 

And she wasn't sure she could do it. 

Logan wasn't afraid of pain,not like a normal person;he didn't like it,but it didn't scare him.He'd probably had worse, and even he knew he could take it,whatever was being dished out.He might get knocked down,but he would always get back up again.Which was why he was perhaps the bravest man she had ever known-he just threw himself in and did whatever he had to do to accomplish what he wanted.And if that was vengeance or death... 

How did they stop a hellbent Logan? 

How did you stop anyone?Get to them through something they cared about;make them see what they are jeapordizing.So what did Logan care about? 

Vengeance and death.Damn it! 

Wait...Naomi?When she said her name,the pain in his eyes was so naked it was hard to look upon it:it was like she just rubbed salt into an open wound.But she was already gone to him,or at least he seemed to be acting that way.And she had no idea who he was,except "that guy who survived the explosion,and whose skin just grew back as we watched.It was really freaky." Bringing him to Naomi could backfire,and badly.It could remind him of everything he had lost.Again. 

The Professor had obviously hoped Logan cared enough about her to stop himself.And,as terrible as it was to admit to herself,she had rather been hoping the same thing. 

("Read my mind.") 

The remembrance of the threat alone made her shudder.Whatever was going through Logan's mind right now,it had sent him over the edge;it was breaking him like the torturers had not.And she could barely tolerate the flash of memories she had pulled from his subconscious jumbled and disordered.She didn't want to see one in some semblance of cohesion,linear and vivid.To be fair,she didn't know how he lived with it;she wasn't sure she could.And none of it had actually happened to her- she just picked up echoes of what he had felt. 

As soon as she thought she was under control (and what Logan didn't understand was how dangerous emotions could be for her.She knew from bitter experience that if she didn't keep her emotions under control,her gifts could get out  of hand quickly),she pulled a cell phone out of her pocket,and punched in the number for Xavier's private line.She knew he was waiting for the call. 

To prove it,he picked up on the first ring."Any luck?"He asked,not even waiting for her to say anything. 

They were keeping this between them for now:they both knew Scott didn't like him (men-always a pissing contest),Marie was a child (whether she knew it or not),and there was no real need to inform Ororo if no one else knew.They had hoped to handle this themselves,and pull Logan back from the brink before he did something that would force their hand and make them act. 

But it was hopeless.It was an utter waste of time,and yet she couldn't hate Logan for this.She knew she should on some level,even acting so crude and violent towards her...but it was as if he was daring her to try and kill him;he was all but telling her she had to the next time they met.Did he know he was on a downward spiral,but finding it impossible to stop? 

("I don't die-don't you see that?"He had spat at her,with so much rage and so much pain...was that it?Did he want to die? God,was he doing this so someone would kill him and put him out of his misery?) 

("I remembered.") 

And now he couldn't forget.As much as he wanted to. 

She looked towards his sprawling wreck of a hotel room,the off white curtains still drawn against the sun,and she wondered if his cry for help could be something so desperate and despairing as a deep rooted urge to die."No,"she finally said,and in spite of all her control,she still felt a tear trail down her cheek,and felt the lump return to her throat. 

She'd know for sure what Logan was after if she read his mind.But she couldn't dare,because she didn't know if she'd survive it. 

"Jean,what happened?"Xavier asked,sounding concerned. 

"He's starting to remember,"she admitted,not even bothering to keep the pity and sorrow out of her voice anymore."And I think it's driving him crazy." 

    3 

    Sully's was a bar in the basement of a pool hall-why the businesses were separate Logan honestly had no idea.Pool and beer went together like cigarettes and beer.But it was just what he expected:wood paneling and light with a yellowish cast,the smell of stale smoke and cheap beer mixed with sawdust and body odor,neon bar signs lighting up shadowy corners with garish,primary colors. 

A small place-even the ceiling seemed low :he swore he could reach up and touch it without even baring his claws-he banged his shin into two of the small round tables that filled up most of the place (neither currently occupied,which was a shame,as a senseless fight might be nice) on his way to the bar.The bartender,a muscular Asian man who seemed to have a perpetually annoyed look about him,eyed him warily the moment he came in the door."I'm looking for Erasmus,"he said,glaring right back at him. 

"We don't sell it here,"he drawled,obviously being an asshole. 

Logan curled his upper lip at him."Look pal,I-" 

"It's okay,Will-I was expecting him."A gravel voiced man said,emerging from a back room partitioned off from the bar by a rainbow hued beaded curtain.The man was tall and cadaverous,skin leathery and craggy from too much sun (?),a black eye patch over his right eye,his nearly shoulder length silver hair held back in a ponytail.His single eye,which was so pale it was nearly clear,looked him over carefully before he asked,in his cigarette beaten voice,"You're Logan,I presume?" 

"What do you think?"Logan snapped impatiently."Can we just cut the bullshit and get on with it?" 

The man gestured to whatever was behind the curtain,an invitation for him to come in.Logan gave Will a last scathing look before following the craggy,vaguely creepy figure of Erasmus behind the plastic beaded curtain. 

He led him through an small hallway to a room with a heavy,unmarked door.Inside was a low lit room that could have been the place of business of some hack fortune teller or an illegal poker game.Lit in a way that most of the tiny room was cloaked in shadows,it highlighted a single round table-the wood scarred,stained,and pitted from years of abuse-that took up most of the room.Here,it smelled like cigar smoke and whiskey and Erasmus,who had a leathery odor about him.Was he a mutant?Logan was starting to think so. 

But there was something else too;another scent,buried far beneath the others,and familiar-exceedingly familiar.It reminded him of the scent of ozone and sterilizers... 

"So you're looking for something in an armament?"Erasmus said,his scratchy voice a perfect accompaniment to the rough folds of rawhide like skin on his face.Erasmus took one of the two wooden chairs bracketing the table,the wooden leg screeching briefly on the floor as he pulled it out far enough to accommodate his lanky form. 

"Uh,yeah,I need something powerful.I'm thinking napalm."Logan reluctantly sat in the only other chair,wondering what that other scent was.It was really distracting. 

Erasmus simply nodded,no expression in his single eye."Easy enough to get.How much do you need?" 

"How much do you have?"What the hell was it?Now it was really starting to bug him.Was it a person..? 

Erasmus sat forward,resting his bony elbows on the table as he stared at Logan with his one good eye."I suppose I should ask how much cash you have,Mister Logan." 

They had gotten down to the nitty gritty of it when the strangest feeling overcame Logan.It was like a sudden wave of dizziness,and even though he was sitting down,for a moment he felt like he was falling- 

-and in his mind's eye,he was staring out the small window of a dingy hotel room,red neon buzzing just beyond the sill giving everything a bloody hue as he looked out at the rain slicked avenue,the street lamps under aerial assaults by swarms of insects suicidally attracted to the light,.He heard a woman-that woman he sometimes heard in his head-say mockingly, almost laughing,"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,hmm?" 

He had no idea what she was on about,but he didn't care.He felt removed from himself,apart,as if he really wasn't here at all- 

And Logan felt jolted as the vision seemed to disappear and he found himself looking across the table at the almost spectral figure of Erasmus,who arched a silver eyebrow at him surprise."Are you all right?" 

He stared at him a moment,feeling the same disorientation he almost always felt upon waking up.What the fuck was that? "Yeah,fine,"he lied,rubbing the back of neck like it hurt.Which of course it didn't,but he couldn't show him how confused he was right now.It was like he'd fallen asleep for a millisecond,entered a dream in progress,and suddenly woke up.He couldn't have become suddenly narcoleptic,could he? 

Unless it was no dream at all.  



	3. Part 3

"Well,all right.Is tomorrow night good for you?" 

"Huh?" 

"Delivering the napalm." 

Had they agreed on an amount and a payment?He couldn't remember.Oh shit;it was like reality was now spiraling out of control too,not just his rage,and he had a sudden urge to leave this place before it happened again."Yeah,fine."he said,getting to his feet. 

Erasmus levered himself to his feet almost painfully,as if he was an old man with arthritic joints,and then reached into the breast pocket of his blue embroidered shirt.For the first time,Logan noticed he was wearing a silver and turquoise bolo tie;his whole dark outfit seemed to have a vague Western theme,right down to his brown cowboy boots,and he did sort of look like a cowboy gone to seed.His accent was American but not Midwestern,so Logan didn't really know what to make of it-wish fulfillment?Too much time spent in Calgary or the Saskatchewan area? 

Erasmus pulled out what looked like a dog eared parchment colored business card,and handed it to him."I have a storage unit at this place.The owner's a customer so he looks the other way,but it's best to avoid prying eyes that may stumble upon the scene.So we make the deal at midnight,okay?"  
Logan glanced at the black print on the card:Hamilton Storage,with an address that put it a couple of miles from here,at the edge of town.Still feeling slightly panicky,like the walls were adamantium and closing in on him (or maybe rock and falling in on him....where had that thought come from?),he simply nodded,shoving the card in the pocket of his leather jacket."Yeah,great,midnight." 

"See you then,Mister Logan,"the man said,giving him a fragile and somehow simply wrong smile,as if his face was so unaccustomed to the expression it rejected it outright."And I only accept cash-Canadian or American,I don't care,as long as it's real." 

Logan gave him a curt nod of acceptance,and gratefully left the room and the grimy little bar in its entirety,feeling as if he had an army on his tail. 

What the fuck was wrong with him? 

*** 

    Erasmus sat back down as Logan fled,and lit up an unfiltered Marlboro as he put his feet up on the table and waited for Lucretia to come out from her hiding place in the secret back room. 

Finally she emerged,looking slightly ashen,her oil black hair pulled back to reveal the severe planes of her face.Although attractive enough,her cheekbones looked sharp enough to cut glass."Fuck,I hate getting near his mind.It's a house of horrors,Grant." 

"I know,but you got something,didn't ya?I didn't make him that squirrelly."He took a deep drag,savoring the tar that settled into his lungs.Unlike dear Logan he could not count on semi-immortality,but he was nowhere near as fragile as the throwback humans,or,as he liked to call them,the 'homo subpar'. 

Lucretia-best known to most people by her code name,Omen-nodded,pressing a hand to her temple as if her head hurt. "Yes,but what I got made no goddamn sense." 

He grunted noncommittally."Sounds like Enigma.What'd you get?" 

Omen pulled out the chair Logan had vacated like a wolverine with his tail on fire,and didn't sit in it more than she collapsed back on it."They were in a dive motel room somewhere,and she was quoting a Bible passage,I think.I didn't think she was into that sort of thing." 

"From what I understand,she wasn't,"he allowed.He hadn't know Enigma personally;she was an almost mythical figure in the secret network of mutants who had infiltrated the Organization,as she left few clues,and,as the Org saying went,'no shadows'. 

Except,apparently,for Logan. 

When Omen let him know she had encountered an 'alternate track' in Logan's brain while telepathically scanning him-a track that seemed like the buried imprint of another person,cold and impenetrable-it was clear it could only be the work of Enigma,whose actual powers were unknown.But she did seem to have a knack for bending people's wills to hers,and for keeping secrets,which hinted at telepathy or an equivalent power,and that would scan with what little was known about the woman,who left dramatically and arrived so quietly no one could remember exactly when that was.She lived up to her code name by a nautical mile. 

What was known:she was smarter-and tougher-than she looked,seemed to have some background in pharmaceuticals if not biochemistry,and buried her secrets all over,so finding one was no guarantee of finding others. 

And she had some kind of soft spot for Logan.Or she was just being realistic:he aged with colossal slowness,and he was,for all intents and purposes,indestructible.Anything buried in his mind would last for an eon,and frankly,who would think to look there? 

The woman was inscrutable and annoying,an arrogant bitch who let her own sense of invincibility go to her head.But man, was she brilliant. 

Of course the idiots at the Organization hadn't put it together.So much went wrong,what with uncountable mutants escaping before the Big Empty became the Big Crater,and so many of their guys dying in the vaporization of the evidence (although Logan walked away-just like he did last time.Couldn't kill that fucker with a nuclear strike),they didn't really care if Enigma left something in his head.Sadly,the shit hit the fan about her being a suspected mutant,so they were scrutinizing the records of the employees and looking at all the mutants in their employ very closely,including Omen,who survived the Big Crater because she left before it happened.She wasn't only a telepath,after all:she had some psychic 'flashes',too,hence her code name,but she didn't tell them she knew what was going to happen to the base because she honestly didn't give a shit.They were advancing the mutant genome,not siding with those fucking morons,but of course she couldn't say that either.So she was just laying low,and helping him with his plan for unlocking the info Enigma left hidden in Logan's confused and deeply fucked up mind. 

Erasmus himself had never joined  the Organization;he simply was support for his mutant brothers on the inside.Or,in Omen's case,daughter.But he was always intrigued by Enigma,especially since a mutant he knew and trusted once told him she had formulated something that would take care of the 'human problem' for good-precisely two days before her unfortunate,pyrotechnic demise. 

And the last person to see her alive and still be alive himself was Logan. 

If she locked that information away anywhere,it was in Logan's head;he had ruled out almost everywhere else.But the problem was breaking through the walls Enigma had put in Logan's head to protect the information,especially since Omen was so reluctant to go back in his head and find it. 

Erasmus had a gift he knew the Organization would love to exploit if they knew it existed:he could manipulate the emotions of others.He didn't even need to be close to them,he just needed to know his target.And Logan had been ripe for the picking. 

As far as he could tell,he was always a big furry ball of free floating rage,but now he was currently distraught,heartbroken,and self-piteous.He didn't need to push him any one way more than simply give him a nudge or two in the right direction.Even Enigma's walls couldn't stand in a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown.Logan was falling apart,and the walls were falling with him. 

"What was the passage,Lu?"He asked,exhaling smoke through his nose. 

She scowled at him,hating him when he called her that."Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.She thought it was funny,for some reason,but Logan had no idea what she meant,and really didn't care." 

He thought about that for a minute,absentmindedly chewing on the end of his cigarette as he combed through what little info and innuendo he had accumulated about Enigma over the years.Why did 'valley of the shadow of death' sound so familiar,vis a vis her? 

Finally,it clicked into place like a burst of intuition,and he chuckled to himself."Death Valley.She did love irony." 

"What?" 

"There were rumors putting secret labs of hers in several places over the years-the Sahara,Mount Kilimanjaro,the Gobi,even a cave in Iceland:she had a thing for desolate places where few would wander.And Death Valley is on that short list.I bet that's where it is." 

"Where what is?"She sat forward,dark brows drawing together in annoyance over her clear blue eyes."Dad,what are we looking for exactly?What was Enigma's big secret?" 

"She solved the human problem,Lu,but never found the time to put it into action.That's why it's up to us to finish up for her."He got up and stretched,feeling his old bones creak like branches too heavy with the weight of snow. 

"So what do we do now?"She asked,reluctantly getting up as well. 

"I say we get some sleep and tie up some loose ends.Then we head for Death Valley." 

"What do we do with Logan?" 

He shrugged."Nothing.His personal velocity will carry him on his pointless revenge mission,and,hey,what the hell.I have nothing personal against Logan:he was simply the wrong guinea pig of the wrong puppet master at the wrong time.Let him kill or be killed-whatever floats his boat." 

Lu seemed disappointed with that answer,but this had never really been about Logan at all.He was simply the unwitting middleman. 

It was the humans-and Enigma-that he wanted. 

    4 

    The road was desolate and empty,plowed up snow making a natural barricade on either side,and even though he could not see much beyond the feeble rays of the high beams,Logan drove on,sure that the road would be there no matter how he turned. 

Naomi leaned against his shoulder,drifting off,and he carefully snaked his arm around her waist,holding her against him.Her body heat was nice.Being electric,she generated more body heat than your average person,and it seemed to spare the heater from working overtime,even if it did give the electrical system fits. 

She settled against his chest,and murmured,"Wake me when the shooting starts." 

He grunted in amusement,not even caring where they were going.He had a feeling the destination was out of reach anyways. 

"We've been screwed,sweetheart." 

It was a woman's voice,but not Naomi's. 

He glanced in the rearview mirror,and instead of seeing the back of the truck,he saw a laboratory reflected:steel walls of cold,stark silver,dominated by a chair made of metal and welded to the floor.It had shackles built in on the arms and legs, leather straps hanging down across the center,and some strange built in headpiece that looked like a high tech crown of thorns,yet somehow medieval,like a brace used for trepanation.He thought maybe it was an electric chair,but it was much worse than that-he knew that instinctively. 

Then the woman appeared;well,part of her.Only her almond shaped eyes,Asian yet an intense cobalt,suggesting she was a mutant,or at least rather unusual.And he knew the voice,didn't he?She was the woman he heard in his head sometimes,but had never seen;he could not even conjured up an idea of her face.He still couldn't.The eyes seemed startling and unfamiliar, while her voice retained its nagging familiarity:you knew the person,but could not name the face. 

"What?"He asked,glancing over his shoulder.He saw nothing but the back of the hotwired truck.But when he glanced back into the mirror,she was still there,blocking the view of the nightmare chair. 

(That's where I first met her-that chair.I was in that chair...) 

"Doesn't getting used all the time get tiresome?"She asked,almost sounding bored.But there was irritation beneath the surface,buried rage that didn't dare express itself. 

Suddenly Logan realized the landscape had changed:no longer was he driving to nowhere in the Rockies.He was now driving to nowhere in the desert,the sand baked to a sienna hue on either side of the cracked ribbon of road as waves of heat shimmered off the pavement,making everything look like a mirage.He was alone too;Naomi was gone. 

No,he took that back-he was not alone. 

"Are we ever really alone?"The woman asked,and although her voice was silken,it still sounded like a threat. 

Logan woke up,feeling more disoriented than ever before. 

The light striped across the white stuccoed ceiling of the hotel room was intensely yellow,suggesting it was afternoon already, and as he sat up,he realized the bed was intact,and he felt...strange somehow.Slightly empty,with the lingering fragment of a headache. 

He didn't get headaches. 

It all but disappeared as he got up and went into the bathroom,staring at himself in the mirror to make sure he was still himself.He was,and was relieved to see no reflection but his own.Did he really think he'd see someone else? 

The most remarkable thing was he felt more like himself than he had in days.He wasn't tense more than he was simply... disappointed;let down.And angry,of course;he was almost always angry. 

Something had happened to him,but he wasn't sure what. 

He thought he'd feel better after a shower,and while he did feel a little more awake,he remained as confused as ever.But he still felt better than he had in days,as if the tension in him had reached a breaking point and simply fell apart.Or the last few days had been some sort of fever dream...except he didn't have fever dreams either. 

And it had happened.Everything he had feared happened did. 

Oh shit-had really almost stabbed Jean in the face? 

Well,hopefully she'd have a sense of humor about that kind of thing.Did she have a sense of humor? 

She must to put up with old one eye.Although you'd think that joke was past its shelf life. 

He was half dressed when he heard a knock at the door. 

His first thought was that it was Jean,but considering how their last meeting went,he figured she'd just blow the door off its hinges,and he'd wake up locked down to a table back at the mansion with a whole bunch of weapons aimed at his face.But no bad guy would knock,would they?They couldn't be that stupid.No,wait a minute-if they actually wanted to mess with him,they must be. 

He zipped up his jeans and went to the curtain,pulling it back a fragment to look out at whoever was at his door. 

The light seemed harsh,making him squint until his eyes adjusted,and then he saw a black man of average height but above average musculature standing there,wearing a black leather jacket and gloves over jeans and a worn t-shirt with a flaking hawk illustration on it,but,strangest of all was he wore these weird dark glasses,streamlined but still somewhat bulky,to the point that they looked like an unholy hybrid between sunglasses and welding goggles. 

No fucking way. 

He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it on as he opened the door."Scorpion?" 

He'd been the other one in Shrike's mindfucked troika of him,Electra,and Scorpion,all telepathically brainwashed to believe they had been at Alkali Lake together,and almost lured into a trap.Of course it didn't work,and Shrike ended up dead;only Logan and Shrike had really been at Alkali Lake,and it seemed Shrike wasn't there involuntarily.The last he knew, Scorpion-nee Marcus Drury-had headed off to become a one man demolition squad,determined to find and destroy any mutant experimentation bases he found.The fact that he had never really been in one did nothing to assuage his anger.He didn't blame him in the least. 

"Hey,que pasa,Logan.How's it hanging?"He asked,and Logan stood aside to let him in. 

Scorpion had to wear those weird glasses in bright light because of his 'gifts'-he could see in infrared,and bright light just about blinded him.He also had to wear the gloves,because he had glands under his fingernails that excreted a toxin:a little would paralyze a person,a little more would kill them.Logan had seen him do it back at Dry Lake;it was sort of like watching someone give a lethal Vulcan nerve pinch,but nonetheless impressive. 

"Haven't checked,"he replied,closing the door after him."What are you doing here?" 

"I heard there was a base up here,in the Rockies,"he said,looking around his strange,mostly empty room before turning back to face him,pushing his goggles up onto his freshly shaved head.His eyes looked normal,except they were mostly pupil;his eyes always looked blown,to the point that Logan wondered if he really had irises at all."But I show up and,lo and behold,it's already a smoking hole in the ground.A little searching turned up tales about a guy with muttonchops and a bad attitude beating the shit out of people and putting 'em through tables,so instantly I thought of you." 

"I never put anyone through a table,"he countered."Well,maybe just their hand." 

"Asking for it?" 

"Do they ever not?" 

"True enough."As Logan grabbed his flannel shirt from the bed and shrugged it on,Scorpion said,"You know,I prefer the Ritz-Carlton." 

"Some of us ain't snobs." 

"Ooh,"he replied,chuckling slightly."Ever wonder if my toxin would work on you?" 

"No.If it did,it wouldn't for long." 

"Probably not."He nodded,and the earring in his left earlobe swung back and forth,briefly catching the minimal light in the room.It was a small gold scorpion,of course. 

"I take it you're not here to reminisce." 

"No.I need your help,Logan.This was my last solid lead on a base,and I was hoping you might know of some other places since you were there takin' care of it." 

"I wasn't exactly there to take care of it." 

Scorpion arched an eyebrow at him,tacitly asking the question Logan really didn't want to answer."It's a long story." 

"Hey,do I look busy?"Scorpion replied,shrugging with his gloved hands."Come on,I'm starving,let's go get some lunch.You can tell me then." 

Logan stared at him,thinking it over.Did he really want to rehash the pain of it all,of losing Naomi all over again? 

But Naomi had been his friend too,and he supposed Marcus deserved to know what had happened to her.Logan shrugged a single shoulder,sitting down on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and boots."Yeah,all right.I guess I could use something."A bit of an understatement:his stomach was so empty it was like he hadn't eaten in days.Had he? 

"Is there a decent place to eat in this shitty little town?" 

"I have no fucking idea,"Logan admitted.Although he preferred being alone,right now the idea of company didn't seem so bad,especially someone who had known Naomi,and knew Shrike too.It was like a grounding to a past that couldn't be disputed."So how went the base demolition?Got any?" 

"Only two,"he replied,sounding disappointed."They had a tendency to up and move before I got there,if they ever even existed at all.A couple turned out to be nothing more than run of the mill standard military bases.Although I did discover the U.S. government does have a U.F.O.,but it's not at Area 51.That's a story they tell to misdirect people." 

He said it so deadpan Logan wasn't sure if he was joking or not,but he assumed he was."No matter what government it is,it sucks." 

"Amen,brother.Seen Electra recently?I thought I heard rumors of a woman dripping electricity in a town about fifty miles away a few weeks back." 

Logan sighed as he got up,finished lacing up his boots,and went into the connecting room to grab his own leather jacket off the one good chair.Scorpion followed,as he thought he might."That's part of the story,"he admitted."Come on,let's get out of here.This place is starting to depress me." 

"Only now it's depressing you?"Scorpion replied incredulously. 

"Ha fucking ha,"he snapped,waiting for Scorpion to don his goggles before opening the door to the harsh daylight outside. 

He just hoped that this wasn't some sort of redux of what happened when Naomi came to him for help.He'd hate to rob Scorpion of ten years of his life too. 

*** 

    They ended up in a greasy spoon down the road,where it lived up to its name-everything was covered in grease,including the diesel they tried to pass off as coffee,but still Logan wolfed down two greasebomb cheeseburgers,because he was actually starving.The fact that they tasted sort of disgusting had no effect on his appetite whatsoever.Telling Marcus what happened to Naomi did somewhat. 

"Shit.She forgot ten years,just like that?"He replied,sounding stunned.Since he had to keep his goggles on in the brightly sunlit diner,he couldn't read his expression from his eyes. 

"That was Lethe's 'power':burning through people's memories.She probably could've taken 'em all if Naomi hadn't managed to kill her first." 

"Naomi had a kick ass power,"he said,commiserating."She still has it,right?" 

"Oh yeah,the drugs had only a temporary effect.She's hiding out now,she's safe,and just...trying to put her life back in order,I guess.As far as she's concerned,she went to bed twenty and woke up on that floor thirty,with a big hole in her memory.I don't think it's coming back either." 

Scorpion sat back in the battered tan vinyl booth,canting his head to the side,clearly thinking."Could this Lethe have done that to you?" 

That was the million dollar question,wasn't it?He had been wondering that himself."I don't know.She'd have been young at the time,sixteen,seventeen." 

"Doesn't preclude her burnin' through you." 

"I know."He chewed on one of the fries,saltier than the Dead Sea,and admitted,"I'll never know for sure.She's dead."He had neglected to mention that Lethe was the long lost sister Naomi had been searching for,just like he left out how friendly he and Naomi had gotten-it didn't matter now,if it had in fact ever mattered.Could fate and fluke have connected them long before they ever met,though?Through a sister who absorbed other people's memories... 

"What was your first one?" 

Logan looked across the formica table at him,only now realizing he was drifting away into his own thoughts."What?" 

"Memory,when you woke up outside Alkali Lake.What was the first thing you remembered?" 

That was a good question.Had he been asked it before?He couldn't remember.Oh,how ironic.He continued to eat the over salted,greasy fries absentmindedly as he tried to remember all that way back-to his 'birth',as it were.And for all intents and purposes,it was."Cold.I was cold.That's what I remember.And for a moment,I thought I was blind,because I saw nothing but white,featureless white." 

He sat forward,almost resting his hands in his own plate of fries."What happened?Did they just heal back?" 

"No,they weren't damaged.I was face down in the snow.When I got up,I saw...well,trees.Rubble.Body parts." 

"Those are observations,not memories." 

Logan shook his head,looking down at his plate of limp,golden french fries,realizing for the first time they looked like the fallen pillars of some denuded trees as seen from a helicopter."I was a blank slate.I didn't remember anything." 

"Until..?" 

Logan scowled at him,wondering why he wanted to know."Until I remembered my name."Yes,he remembered that-laying on broken glass in the front seat of that truck,blanket wrapped around him as he tried to thaw,seeing his dog tags for the first time.They said Wolverine,but he knew that couldn't be his name...Logan just floated to the surface like an afterthought, a piece of flotsam churned up after the storm. 

"Did she remember hers?"Scorpion asked,genuinely curious. 

That caught him flat,and he wasn't sure why.Except maybe Marcus was asking the questions he should have asked."I don't know." 

Scorpion sat back,frowning slightly."Well,she must have if she only forgot ten years." 

"Yeah."For some reason,that  was a downer-it was like a clue had slipped away. 

"But that sort of begs the question why didn't you forget your name.Maybe you didn't lose everything,Logan.Maybe you just lost everything worth remembering." 

Logan arched an eyebrow at him."What the fuck are you talking about?" 

He shrugged his massive shoulders half heartedly."Sorry,I get carried away sometimes.I was a philosophy major,and it shows." 

"You were not." 

"I was.At UCLA-I thought it would help me cope with being different." 

"Did it?" 

"No." 

After a moment,Logan asked,"UCLA has a philosophy department?" 

"I know,it shocked the hell out of me too."Scorpion gulped back the rest of his soda,taking in a mouthful of ice cubes that he crunched nosily."Should I stop annoying you and get back to the point?" 

"Please." 

"When you were in the base,I assume you were in con?" 

"Had to be to blow the place up." 

"Did you see any computer files?A map with coordinates,base names?" 

It was amazing how little he remembered of the actual incident,and it was just over a week ago."No.I don't even remember triggering the self-destruct.I wasn't in the best of moods." 

"Are you ever?" 

He grunted in sarcastic amusement,although he had a point.But he thought back to the Big Empty-everything but losing Naomi was a big blur-but suddenly he remembered that smell that bugged him in Sully's last night.He had smelled it at the base,hadn't he?"Holy shit,"he exclaimed,remembering. 

"What?"Scorpion glanced around,in case Logan had seen something bad. 

"I think I just got set up.Last night,I went to see this guy about getting some weapons...and I smelled a telepath who'd been working for those bastards.Omen I think her name was.They tried to cover up her scent,but they couldn't." 

"When's the buy going down?" 

"Midnight tonight,at a storage rental place outside of town." 

Scorpion sat forward,grinning fiercely,flashing even white teeth."What's say we we set up a little counter trap for the bastards?" 

"You read my mind,"Logan replied,grinning back.It might be fun to get some of his own back,and since Scorpion was an experienced demolitionist,it might even be more fun than usual. 

Scorpion started digging in his coat,presumably for his wallet to pay the check,when he suddenly said,"It wasn't your fault." 

Logan gave him a curious look,wondering if he had faded out again and missed something."Huh?" 

"What happened to Naomi,and what happened to you.You're the toughest bastard I know,Logan,but we all have our limits-and I know Naomi.She had to know what she was risking when she grabbed Lethe;she chose to do that,probably because she thought killing the traitorous bitch was worth everything she'd lose.And she trusted you to get her out no matter what,so in a weird way,I think it was a compliment.So stop the self-pity trip,'kay?" 

"I am not on a self-pity trip,"he snapped,pissed off at the suggestion (especially when it was so close to the bone-could he honestly claim he didn't blame himself about what happened to Naomi?),and yet somewhat ashamed at the same time.Was he that easy to read?"Since when did you become a fucking telepath?" 

"I ain't.But even a half blind dumb ass like me can tell when someone's hurting.Even if he is a macho bastard like you." 

"Are you tryin' to get into my pants?"He wondered sarcastically. 

"Nah,you ain't my type.Too hairy."He replied smoothly,giving him a sarcastic little grin. 

Logan shook his head,but he couldn't help but smile,even in spite of himself. 

    5 

    They began the stake out of Hamilton Storage at eleven o'clock,and just beat the first commando squad by fifteen minutes. 

They ended up having to watch everything from the only high building in the vicinity,some kind of four story brick facade office building a block and a half away.He and Scorpion had opposite problems:although he could see quite far,and his night vision was better than average,Logan still needed the night vision goggles Scorpion had 'liberated' from Army base to see things a bit clearer.Scorpion could see perfectly well in the dark,but couldn't see that well from far away,so he was using standard binoculars,with no night vision component whatsoever. 

They watched the commandos setting up a perimeter,hiding their trucks and setting up sniper positions,and Logan noticed many ground troops were wearing the adamantium/electricity proof armor. 

"When you're right,you're right,"Scorpion finally commented,lowering the binoculars."You weren't just being set up,you're being handed to them on a silver platter." 

Logan kept searching for Erasmus and that Omen witch,but he didn't seen hide nor hair of them,and when the wind shifted in the right direction,he couldn't smell them either.Damn it:he wanted those bastards."You're stronger than a human,right?" 

"No.These muscles are inflatable."He replied,deadpan. 

Logan scowled at him,even though he was looking through the binoculars,not at him."The armor has a weakness in the back where it connects to the headpiece.Hit 'em there,hard." 

Scorpion finally lowered the binoculars,and scowled back at him."You want to fight with them that way?" 

"You have a better idea?" 

Without a word,Scorpion put the binoculars down,got up from where he had been laying on his belly overlooking the edge of the roof,and started rummaging in the heavy duffle bag he'd brought with him ("A few toys we might need,"he had said). After a moment,he brought out a snub nosed silver metal cylinder,which could have been a segment of plumbing pipe,but Logan knew it wasn't."You brought a grenade launcher?"Logan asked,wondering why he was surprised. 

"Amongst other things.These have a tendency to break up a party real fast." 

"I want at least one of them alive.I need to know where their new base is,and where the hell Omen is." 

"Fine.I'll scatter the pheasants,you pick one out for plucking." 

Logan stared at him."You love metaphors,don't you?" 

"Is the Pope Catholic?"He replied,pulling out a couple of grenades. 

"Smart ass."Logan popped his claws and started down the side of the building.To get up here,he used his claws,while Scorpion simply shinnied up the drainpipe.How it didn't collapse Logan had no idea. 

Logan carefully went up the street,staying in the shadows and out of sight as well as outside their perimeter.Well,for now. 

He didn't for long. 

There was a muffled whump,like a pillow hitting a microphone,and he saw some of the commandos look around curiously before the first grenade came down and exploded.It hit one of their trucks that had yet to be parked in a hiding place,and there was a secondary explosion brighter than the first as the gas tank went up,shooting of a red orange fireball that lit up the entire block and sent flaming truck fragments raining down like apocalyptic hail. 

Commandos scattered,trying to escape the fallout and determine where it had come from when a second grenade landed on the roof of one of the storage units (with a sniper on it probably) and exploded,collapsing the roof inward and causing the walls of the structure to fall like it had been made of precariously balanced cards. 

In the chaos and the scrambling for both cover and targets,Logan had no trouble at all joining the fray. 

He walked out into the street,avoiding the fiery wreckage that still burned on the pavement and gave everything a nice reddish glow,occasionally dodging the incoming grenades or flying debris from their violent landings,and delivering a punch or a kick to any punk who looked like he deserved it.Man,there were a lot of those. 

Logan looked around for someone who could be the head honcho,at least on the ground here if not elsewhere (the real big cheeses never did their own dirty work),stepping over the occasional fallen body of an armor clad commando.They didn't look hurt-that armor could take a lot-but they weren't moving,and none went for him as he passed.He wondered if maybe they got flash fried in that stuffy armor,or otherwise splattered against the inside of it like a bug against the windshield due to the shockwave of the blasts. 


	4. Part 4

Finally some armored guy attacked him-he had his helmet off,his dark hair plastered to his scalp by sweat-and Logan simply kicked the paralyzers out of his hand before turning aside,letting the man's own forward moment carry him past.But as he stumbled by,Logan gave him a hard shove,sending him sprawling onto a non-flaming patch of pavement. 

Logan kicked him over onto his back and crouched beside him,popping his claws so they were but a few centimeters from his wide,startled eyes."Where's your leader,asshole?" 

For a moment the boy seemed to be considering his odds if he tried something as opposed to acquiescing,but he seemed to understand he hadn't a chance in hell."Last I saw him,he was by base camp." 

"Which is?" 

"Unit twenty four." 

"Good boy."He stood up,retracting his claws,and kicked soldier boy in the head.Even though it was pretty light-a love tap,really-he went as instantly limp as a sackful of used rags. 

Explosions continued,and as he went farther down the street,which was nothing more than an extension of the storage area's parking lot,he could hear someone barking orders over the crackling of flames.Just the asshole he wanted. 

Logan singled him out ahead,a flinty,hard bitten looking man in black,silhouetted by the flickering flames,the shadows of which seemed to entwine him like rapacious snakes. 

He stalked towards him,and there was so much chaos the man didn't even notice him until it was far too late. 

The man swung an automatic rifle from behind his back and aimed it at Logan,but he kicked the barrel aside as he pulled the trigger.As the bullets ripped up the pavement,throwing chunks of it into the air,Logan popped his claw on his right hand and shredded the gun as he grabbed the man by the throat with his left hand and threw him against the wall. 

He kicked out and hit Logan flush in the ribs,but since his ribs were laced with adamantium,that was a bad move on his part,and accomplished nothing except to piss Logan off more. 

"Where's the base?"Logan demanded,squeezing his throat just enough to let him know he could crush it at any time. 

When he could speak,the craggy,flush faced man rasped,"You blew it up,asshole." 

"Not the Big Empty!The new one!" 

"What new one?"He spat,audibly gasping for air. 

"I know the trucks are headed out there,so don't even try and bullshit me."Another explosion almost buried his words,and some gritty debris pelted down on both of them like hard rain. 

"I'm not-those are unit adjuncts on secondary missions.There is no new base.Yet." 

He glared into his eyes,the stench of  fear coming from him almost unbearable,and he figured he wasn't lying,as much as he wanted to believe he was."Where is home base?" 

The man scoffed,his breath thick with cigarettes and coffee."Like they tell grunts that." 

"You're not a grunt." 

"To HQ I am,"he sneered,an edge of resentment in his voice. 

Logan bet that was true too,damn it."Where's Omen?"It was the last question he had to ask,then he had no further need of the guy. 

The man's eyes seemed to become harder,narrowing to slits in his craggy face."That's what I'd like to know.The bitch was supposed to be here." 

Ah great,things were getting better and better.As another explosion occurred near by,Logan smashed his forehead down into the soldier's face,and he instantly sagged in his grip,unconscious.Logan let him fall,turning and walking away before he had even completely hit the pavement. 

He heard multiple shots being fired,but if any were aimed at him,they missed by such a wide margin that he didn't even bother to turn around and have a look.Walking back to where Scorpion was still laying down covering fire-probably too much,really,but he seemed to have such fun blowing these guys up he didn't want to spoil his party-he pulled a cigar out of his pocket and lit it up,figuring Scorpion would know it was him by that if he didn't figure it out already. 

By the time he reached the base of the office building,Scorpion had climbed down to meet him,duffle bag slung over his back.He no longer had his grenade launcher out,but he was carrying what looked like a snub nosed assault rifle."Anything?" 

He shook his head,sneering in disgust."Bupkis.Let's get out of here before reinforcements arrive." 

"You think they actually got a chance?"Scorpion said,but followed him anyways.They now had to work out a new game plan. 

*** 

    At the back booth of a seedy bar the next town over,they tried to plan their next move over watery,sour beers. 

"He was probably full of shit,Logan,"Scorpion pointed out,although even he didn't sound convinced. 

Logan shoved his beer aside,sloshing some of it over the rim and onto the simulated wood grain table,stained and pitted with the detritus of hundreds of beers and careless cigarette ashes."I'm sure he was,but he was telling me the truth as he knew it, and didn't seem happy about it." 

Scorpion huffed a sigh through his nose,anxiously tapping his gloved fingers on the scarred tabletop."So what,we give up now?" 

"No.You're the great base hunter-you haven't heard anything else?" 

"Nothing I'd trust,"he admitted,frustration evident in his voice. 

"Still?"Logan prompted.He didn't think he was holding out on him more than he was simply being wary. 

After a moment,Scorpion admitted,"There are old rumors dogging  about half a dozen places in Montana,a place outside of Nome,Alaska,Death Valley,and some place in Southern Mexico,but I've been to most of those places and seen nothing." 

For some reason,the name Death Valley sounded familiar,even though he was relatively sure he had never been there.It must have showed on his face,because Scorpion sat forward,and said,"What?" 

It almost felt like a memory,but he wasn't sure it was his.Maybe it was just a hunch,a gut intuition...or just another feeling he couldn't trust.Still,he said,"We should go to Death Valley." 

"Why?" 

"Honestly?I don't know.But I think that's where we should go." 

"Again,why?" 

Logan could only shrug."Just a hunch." 

"Just a hunch,"Scorpion repeated,sounding deeply skeptical and defeated.But after a moment,he sighed,and said,"Why the hell not?Death Valley it is." 

Logan wondered what they'd find there.For some undefinable reason,he knew they wouldn't be coming up empty handed. 

    6 

    When Angel first heard the pounding,he thought the hotel was under attack. 

He jolted awake in bed,instantly cringing at the reflected daylight bleeding in around the edges of the curtain,but threw off the covers and hopped to his feet anyways.He almost charged out to see what was going on until he realized it was just someone pounding on his door. 

He didn't know anyone who knocked quite that heavily,except perhaps an agitated Gunn."Just a minute,"he shouted, grabbing a pair of pants and hastily pulling them on.He grabbed a shirt from the closet and slipped it on as he went to the door of his room and opened it."What is it?"He asked,and almost did a double take when he saw who was standing there. 

It was Logan,looking slightly embarrassed,and a very muscular black man wearing...welding goggles?Oh,hey,Scorpion-a face he never expected to see again."Hey,Logan,Marcus,"he said,trying to be casual."What's up?"He really didn't know how Logan felt about him right now,especially after what happened with Naomi.Angel had thought Logan should tell them about their relationship-it seemed pretty clear to him that they had loved each other,whether they had said it or not-but Logan was too distraught and busy blaming himself to even consider it,and was pretty pissed off at Angel for even bringing it up.He really didn't know if he'd ever see him again,so having him just show up like this was a bit of a shock. 

"Well,Scorpion insisted we offer to bring you in on this,"Logan admitted grudgingly,his greenish blue eyes still remarkably hard.So he hadn't quite forgiven him yet. 

"In on what?"Angel asked,holding the door open wide so they could come in.Logan seemed reluctant at first,but he did come in,and Marcus followed. 

"We think there's a base in Death Valley,and we want to hit it in force,"Marcus explained,as Angel shut the door. 

"We don't want a repeat of Dry Lake or Big Empty,where we were at a disadvantage,"Logan said,glancing around the room so he didn't have to look him in the eyes."You own the hotel,yet you only live in this one room?" 

"I don't need a lot of room,"he offered half heartedly,then added,more emphatically,"I don't think revenge is a good idea, especially on an entity as large as this." 

Logan's head shot around towards him,anger shining in his eyes."They didn't do this to you,did they?"He snapped,popping the claws on his left hand and letting them spring up towards his face.Angel did flinch involuntarily,even though he knew Logan wasn't about to stab him:they both knew from experience it never did any good."Besides,it's not only about revenge- one of the telepaths from the Big Empty survived and tried to set me up.I think she may have fucked with my head too.I wanna know why." 

"I'm just in it for the revenge,"Marcus added.Since it was dark in here,he pushed his goggles up onto his bald pate,exposing his wide pupiled eyes. 

Angel sighed as best he could without breath,running a hand through his hair.He didn't want to encourage Logan's pointless (and stupid dangerous) revenge seeking,but on the other hand,he was going whether Angel agreed to go or not.And he knew he could be useful if they got in trouble,because that group-whatever they were-they still hadn't accepted the fact that he was demon,not mutant.That had to be why Logan was asking him along in the first place. 

"Hey,Logan said you knew people,"Marcus continued. 

Angel looked between the mutants curiously."Knew people?" 

"The woman from the Big Empty is a telepath,"Logan repeated,as if Angel was being a deliberate idiot."Like Shrike.And if we don't want to be mindfucked again we need someone who can counter a telepath.Like,what about Icara?" 

He shook his head."Kassendars are sensitive to violence;they abhor it." 

"Kassendars?"Marcus asked. 

"Kind of demon,"Angel replied. 

Marcus arched an eyebrow at him."You're Catholic?" 

"No.You'd be surprised how little I go to church,"Angel deadpanned. 

"So you don't know anybody trustworthy who would go with us and could counter a telepath?"Logan asked with barely concealed impatience,completely ignoring Marcus's little aside. 

Angel thought about it for a moment,still torn about abetting Logan in his violent,denial laden quest or simply letting him go to sink or swim on his own.But Angel knew he'd feel terrible if something happened to Logan,and the world simply did not need an evil Wolverine in it.And he could keep the body count down...maybe. 

Thinking about getting someone who could help him conspire to keep the body count down brought to mind the thought that he'd need an army of one,and he knew someone who almost qualified,didn't he? 

He grimaced at the thought,and Logan caught it."What is it?" 

"I know someone who could counter a telepath,"Angel admitted reluctantly."But I'm not sure I'd call him trustworthy." 

*** 

    Maximum Bob laughed so hard,his face flushed a reddish blue sort of color,briefly making it look like he was choking. 

"What's so funny?"Marcus asked,looking around Bob's sparse backroom office in the Way Station,still decorated by wooden crates (several with biohazard symbols) and the lone wooden desk. 

Bob was seated behind the desk,the heels of his boots propped up on the far edge as he leaned back in his ergonomic desk chair.He fanned himself with his hand and and seemed to get a grip."Asking if I can handle a human telepath.Thanks Angel,that's the best laugh I've had in weeks." 

"So is that a yes or a no?"Logan asked testily,crossing his arms over his chest. 

The three of them-Angel,Logan,and Marcus- were standing before his desk,in various states of impatience.The demon bar out front had not been very busy when they came in,but immediately cleared out,much to Lia's irritation,but she couldn't completely blame Angel for it this time.When Logan loudly noted no one smelled human,a semi-drunk Frenik demon asked him who the fuck he was.Logan answered,with equal bile,"Wolverine.What the fuck are you?" 

It was amazing how fast the bar cleared.It was like someone yelled Slayer in a graveyard.Logan hadn't been in L.A. for long, but he had been there long enough to get a major bad ass reputation,even among demons (well,killing a Berserker barehanded-well,so to speak-could do that for you).And although Lia gave him a sour look,she didn't dare comment, probably because she didn't know enough about his abilities to determine whether or not he'd be a genuine threat to her. 

"Get a hundred of the most powerful human telepaths you can find and sic 'em on me:I still won't even have to get out of bed." 

"You think you're that good?"Logan asked,and it sounded like a challenge. 

Bob met his eyes and smiled,finding Logan's hostility strangely amusing."No.As strong as they are,they still have a basic weakness.Mutant or not,they're human.I'm not.I win." 

"So you're a demon too,huh?"Marcus asked,sounding skeptical."Vampire?" 

"Oh,hell no.Belial.But,while I am full of shit,I'm not like most of the wanker Belials around." 

Logan frowned at him."Know a guy named Ralph?" 

Bob had to think for a moment."The Khendo demon that lives under the overpass?" 

As Logan looked deeply confused,unsure if Bob was bullshitting him or not,Angel interrupted,"Just a Belial we had some dealings with a while back.Drug dealer." 

Bob nodded in understanding."Yeah,there are some real pricks around." 

"So if you're full of shit,why should we believe you're as powerful a telepath as you say you are?"Marcus wondered,pointing out a great flaw in Bob's own logic. 

"I'm not a telepath,mate.I'm better than that." 

"How so?"Logan still sounded challenging and disbelieving,and the more Logan was overtly hostile to him,the more Bob seemed to find it funny.Did he want to end up on the wrong side of Logan's claws? 

"I don't think there's really a human term for what I do.Mesmerism comes close,but only in a 'just under a parsec' sort of way." 

"Mesmerism?"Logan repeated,and chuckled darkly."You're what,a carny sideshow hypnotist?" 

Bob swept his feet off the edge of his desk and sat forward,the look on his eerily handsome and human face deadly serious. "Those are fighting words,you know." 

Logan let his arms fall to his sides,clearly ready,willing,and looking forward to using his claws on Bob."Bring it on,Kreskin." 

"Now he's a 'mentalist',and a complete con artist,I might add,"Bob said,sounding more conversational.But he looked Logan right in the eyes,and only Angel knew the danger of that. 

"Bob,"Angel warned,but it was too late. 

"Looks like you could use a laugh,Logan,"Bob suggested,and with that,Logan burst out laughing.Not a sarcastic chortle or a dark snicker,but a genuine,raucous laugh that seemed bizarre coming from him.Even Marcus gave him a strange,sidelong glance,and sidled farther away from him. 

"Logan?"Marcus asked warily,as Logan leaned over to catch his breath,resting his hands on his knees,still giggling in spite of his best efforts to stop.Marcus then turned his sharp gaze on Bob."What the fuck did you do to him?" 

"Given him something I think he's needed for a while,"Bob claimed guilelessly,then gave him a crooked smile."Love the goggles,mate.Very Mad Max." 

"I see in infrared,"Marcus said defensively.The goggles were perched on his scalp again,as it was so dim in the Way Station there was no way he'd need them. 

"Cool,"Bob said,then looked at Logan,even though he was still staring down at the floor."And what's your superpower, Logan?" 

Logan suddenly straightened up,and his face was back in its usual stern and angry mask.Not only was he no longer laughing, he was clearly unaware he had ever done so."I hurt things,"Logan snarled,and shot his hand over Bob's desk,unleashing the claws of his right hand about a foot from Bob's face."Permanently.So don't mock me." 

Bob's nuclear blue eyes widened so much Angel thought there might be a real danger of them falling out of his head. "Wow! That is so fucking cool!"He exclaimed ecstatically,leaping up from his chair so fast it coasted back on its wheels until it hit the back wall.He leaned in for a closer look at the nine inch silver blades sticking out from the base of the knuckles of Logan's right hand,although careful not to touch or come too close,and asked,"You weren't born with these,were you?" 

"No,"Logan said,looking uncomfortable,as that was neither the reaction he expected or wanted.He retracted his claws with the same metallic thunk as always,but didn't put his hand down fast enough for Bob not to notice Logan's other unique talent. 

"Fast healer,huh?" 

"Yeah,"he muttered in reply,glancing down at the floor as if ashamed of it. 

"The men who did that to him are the one we're after,"Angel told Bob,only for clarification. 

"So I guess I can't be buyin' me some of those,huh?"Bob asked,sounding genuinely disappointed. 

"I'll give you some,"Logan snapped,drawing back his arm to impale him.But Angel caught his elbow and held it still,and when Logan gave him a dirty look for it,Angel simply shook his head,although he was sympathetic.Bob wasn't his favorite guy either,but there was no denying he was not a being to trifle with:Ralph was an amoeba of a Belial to the powerful demonoid Bob was,and Logan was obviously unaware of it. 

But,truth be told,if he really wanted to,Bob could kick all their asses.And they'd never know it. 

"Why'd you laugh,dude?"Marcus asked Logan,as soon as Angel felt confident enough to let go of his arm."What was so funny?" 

"What the fuck are you talking about?"Logan asked,brow furrowing in annoyance.But Logan soon shifted that look back to the still smiling Bob.He hadn't been afraid of Logan's claws,not for one moment."And why in the fuck are we supposed to trust a goddamn fortune teller?" 

Bob sighed dramatically,and retrieved his chair so he could sit behind his desk once more."Now,Logan,that's not what I do.Is it,Angel?" 

And that was the last thing Angel remembered clearly. 

    7 

    Logan knew by smell alone that Bob was not human,but he didn't smell exactly like Ralph had,supposedly another Belial.Bob smelled better,less vinegary,more like...parchment?Maybe-parchment beneath the cologne he was wearing,which was pretty faint,and smelled like water.He was also wearing leather pants,which he could also smell throughout the office. 

Bob looked nothing like Ralph,save for the intensely blue eyes.Ralph had a sort of generic look;he could have been anyone. But Bob was a good looking man,male model sort of handsome,although not effeminate,which was quite a feat.He looked fit too,muscular.He was wearing a short sleeved white t-shirt through which you could see a well defined upper body,and it showed off his biceps too,and Logan wondered how vain he was.He certainly liked to show himself off.Or was it some laughingly lame attempt to physically intimidate someone? 

As Bob shifted his gaze to Angel,Logan sensed a change in the air,but it was hard to pinpoint or name.It was like ozone building in the air before a storm,or before Naomi got really mad (shit-why'd he have to think of her?),but not like that at all.It wasn't palpable;it was a sort of psychic pressure,a psionic tradewind that you weren't sure you could feel at all. 

Logan glanced behind him,and saw Angel meeting Bob's gaze unflinchingly-but why was that weird?Oh yeah,he wasn't blinking,and his face seemed strangely blank. 

"Angel,why don't you get us all some beers?The good stuff.Lia will know what you mean."Bob said.Logan was deeply irritated by the fact that Bob seemed constantly amused,as if they were all one big joke. He really wanted to wipe the smirk off his face and the mocking laughter out of his eyes,but Angel,for some reason,seemed to think that was a bad idea. 

Logan assumed Angel would tell him to go fuck himself,but Angel,still blank faced and not saying a word,turned and left the dimly lit back office,presumably returning to the bar out front. 

Logan turned a caustic gaze on the still smirking Bob."What the fuck did you do to him?" 

Bob shrugged with his hands."You wanted to know what I do,Logan.That's it." 

"Make people your personal servants?"he sneered in reply,unimpressed. 

Bob leaned back in his chair and folded his long fingered hands on his chest,still looking vaguely amused enough for Logan to want to punch him."Well,yeah,if I was a complete bastard.But I'm only three-fourths a bastard.I'm only doing this for demonstration purposes." 

"Color me underwhelmed." 

Bob's smirk deepened,his eyes glittering like sapphires,and the desire to splatter his blood all over the wood grain walls was almost overwhelming."Oh come on,mate,you're a smart man.I can impose my will on anyone,and no one can fight back. So,if I wanted Angel to walk out into the sunlight,I could do that as easily as make him fetch the beer.There is no difference at all:kiss or kill,same damn thing." 

"And you're saying a telepath-or several telepaths-could do nothing to stop you?"Marcus interjected,still giving Logan a strange look out of the corner of his eye.What? 

"Absolutely not.They're a different creature on the evolutionary scale than I am,whether mutant Human or demon.I could let a telepath read my mind if I was so inclined,but it would be a deeply unpleasant experience for them.Sort of like Frenching a live wire,I suppose.I'm full of a high voltage psychic energy that no Human is made to handle.Well,Cordy can handle it for a bit,but the PTB's have been throwin' energy like that at her for a while..." 

"PTB's?"Marcus asked. 

The door to the office opened,and Angel came in,a can of beer under each arm and one in each hand.He handed one to Logan,then Marcus,and put one on Bob's desk before him.The cans were large and cold,and foreign-some sort of Australian lager Logan had never seen before. 

As Angel stepped back to where he had been,his own can of lager now firmly in his hand,Bob looked at him,and said,"Thank you,Angel.Now,you were going to say?" 

Life came back to Angel's face,and he replied,"We can argue about this later,Bob.Can you help us or not?"Angel then looked down,startled,at the can of beer in his hand."Where did this come from?" 

Marcus chuckled deep in his throat."Oh man,now that's creepy." 

Angel frowned at Bob."Did you push me?" 

"He wanted to see me in action." 

"Push you?"Logan repeated,but he thought he understood what he meant-give him a mental 'push' in the direction he desired. 

"Don't do it again,"Angel growled,dark eyes narrowing to lethal slits. 

Bob smiled back at him,assuming a look of innocence that even he had to know did not fit."Well,I'd say I'd never,but we both know I'm full of shit." 

The office door opened,and one of the stranger mutants Logan had ever seen came in. 

No,scratch that-she didn't smell Human either. 

It was a green skinned woman with short jade green hair and dark emerald eyes,dressed in faded blue jeans torn at the right knee (revealing more green skin),and a red sleeveless tank top that sort of clashed with her own skin.And...what the hell? 

Did she have a tail? 

About two feet long,as green as the rest of her and as thin as a whip,it twitched behind her like the tail of an impatient cat, moving in counter rhythm behind her as she entered the room.She looked him over,her dark green lips curving into a smile, and said,"Well hello strong,dark,and hairy." 

"Helga,this is Logan and Marcus,also known as Wolverine and Scorpion,respectively.Logan,Marc,this is Helga,my weapons tester and dear friend." 

She arched a forest green brow at him."Can't say bang buddy,huh?" 

"Not in mixed company,no." 

"Mixed company can be fun,"she said suggestively,giving Logan an openly hungry look."Tell me,do you like tequila,Logan?" 

Logan just stared back at her,not sure what to say or what she was on about,but before he could point that out,Bob interjected,"How do you feel about a road trip,love?" 

Marcus was staring openly at Helga."Whoa,that's some mutation you've got.I bet you got teased a lot in school." 

Helga gave Marcus a sly smile."Where I went to school,I was hardly noticed."She then looked over at Bob,while Logan felt something flick the back of his thigh;a quick glance back confirmed it was her tail."Where to?" 

"Death Valley." 

"That's a bit hot for you,isn't it,Vlad?"She commented wryly,looking at Angel,while the tip of her tail snaked under Logan's shirt. 

Logan grabbed her tail."Don't.Keep your...appendages to yourself." 

Her tail squirmed out of his hand with surprising muscularity,and she barely gave him a sidelong glance as Angel scowled at her."I didn't think we'd be dropping by this afternoon." 

"Night raid.We're going to help them kick some butt."Bob continued. 

"Oh.Well then,count me in." 

"Don't you want to know who and why?"Marcus asked her. 

She shrugged a single shoulder,her tail tapping Logan briefly on the small of his back,just to annoy him.If she hadn't been an ally (?),he'd have sliced the damn thing off."As long as I'm getting some action,honey,I'm not very particular about who or why,"she said,giving Marcus a mischievous smirk. 

"That's my girl,"Bob said proudly,grinning fiercely back at her. 

Oh god-he knew he never should have asked Angel for help,but he had no idea he'd take them to a couple of perverted con artists. 

Why not?This was L.A.,after all.What else was there? 

*** 

    The heat was not so much overwhelming as it was oppressive,threatening to bake them from the inside out and melt the tires of their rental Road Ranger into the cracked and melting blacktop of the roadway.Omen wished they were back in the Ranger,in the safety of the air conditioned cab,but no,Erasmus insisted on doing a 'ground survey'.But of what? 

There was nothing but sand and cacti as far as the eye could see in the blinding brightness,the ground baked and cracked to a sort of pale beige,as if the pigment was being slowly bleached away like the bones of a dead man. 

On the flat,bright horizon,the sun seemed closer somehow,larger,a disk of yellow on a pale,watercolor blue backdrop,and even with designer sunglasses on,she needed to squint to see anything ahead of her,including the dark figure of Erasmus, shimmering in the waves of heat like a mirage. 

"What the hell are we supposed to be looking for?"She asked,not for the first time."If it was a surface installation,it would have been found long before now." 

As much as she hated Canadian winters,she now found herself missing the cool,gentle breezes and friendlier sky. 

"You're a psychic,honey,"he replied,his voice carrying on the dry,harsh gusts of superheated air."Maybe you can tell me." 

She scowled at him,not at all appreciating her dad's so called sense of humor."You know it doesn't work like that.I can't force it." 

A tumbleweed blew across the empty expanse of desert,and Omen turned away,heading back to the maroon colored Road Ranger,shimmering in the waves of heat rising off the desert floor. 

And that's when she had a vision. 

There were no announcements;they simply happened,presenting themselves as waking dreams in her mind's eye. 

And she saw,against a dark backdrop,the handsomest man she had ever seen in her life. 

Tall and reasonably muscular,he wore black leather pants tight enough to be intriguing,and a sleeveless white t-shirt clingy enough to show off a well developed chest as he folded his nicely sculpted arms in front of him. 

He gave her a warm,slightly playful smile,and his eyes were so impossibly blue she knew he was either a mutant or wearing contact lenses."Karma's a bitch,ain't it,darlin'?"He asked,his voice betraying an Australian accent as his amazing eyes turned decidedly frosty. 

The sudden attraction turned into butterflies of anxiety in her stomach.Pretty or not,the man was dangerous:she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

His eyes glowed like a furnace,suns going nova,and his smile all but disappeared."I bet you wish I was the karma now,don't you?" 

And behind her she heard a noise:a strange metal on metal sound that she had heard only once before...when Logan unleashed his claws- 

She snapped her head around violently,only to have the vision end and the blinding desert vista come flooding back into view. 

Her heart continued to pound like she had run a marathon,and the heat seemed to leech her breath away,like sweat from her skin.Had she just seen the means of her own death?"Dad,I think we should get out of here,now." 

"You can't give up that easily,"he chided. 

"I think Wolverine is on his way here." 

He scoffed,waving a hand dismissively."So what?We can handle that hairy beast,no prob." 

Catching her breath but still feeling slightly queasy,she remembered vividly the glowing eyes of the strange man,and how they had an almost consumptive pull,like something inside of him wanted to chew her up and spit her out.Could it?Yes,she imagined so.She wasn't sure she'd feel better being subjected to his idea of karma,but she couldn't help but think he'd be a lot more merciful than Logan."But I'm not sure we can handle his friend." 

She wondered if she could live with herself if she took off and left Erasmus behind. 

    8 

    After the second time Helga's tail grabbed his butt,Logan moved to the front seat of Bob's car. 

Bob had an old car,sort of like Angel's,but not.It was a late '60's GTO painted a sort of metallic electric blue (almost the exact color of his freaky eyes) with black leather seats and polarized windows,which lightened from murky black to pale grey as the sun continued to set,turning the sky a pollution hued swirled of red,orange,and gold. 

Logan had to kick Angel out of the shotgun position in the passenger seat,but he really didn't care,and Angel agreed reluctantly,with a roll of his eyes. 

Helga got slightly pouty about it,but after she didn't take his threat seriously (he told her he'd tie her tail in a knot if she did it again,to which she replied,with a gleam in her eye,"Do you like it rough,Logan?") he had no choice but to either move or throw her out of the car.And since it was Bob's car,he had a feeling Bob wouldn't look favorably upon the latter option. 

Of course,why Bob ignored his girlfriend's obvious groping of him was a bit mind boggling,but hell,she was a green woman with a tail!Things stopped making sense about that point. 

As if to prove that,Helga was now engaged in a serious debate with Marcus over who made the better shoulder mounted rocket launcher-the American or the Israelis.To make it even more surreal,Angel said he thought the American one was best (lighter weight),while Bob weighed in with an alternate choice,Russian,because you could drag it through the mud and run over it and the thing would still work,which you couldn't say for other launchers,and then he added the Chinese had some impressive new models in the works. 

"You are all insane,"Logan snapped,searching his coat pockets for a cigar.Smoking would at least keep him from biting his own arm off in a combination of frustration and boredom. 

"Look in the glove box,"Bob said,never taking his eyes off the road.The traffic was hideous-typical L.A.-but when it allowed Bob would go as fast as possible,usually about seventy miles an hour.Logan had noticed the speedometer went all the way up to one hundred and fifty,and the car ran so smooth he had little doubt it could do it. 


	5. Part 5

"Why?" 

"Just do it.I promise,it's not booby trapped." 

Although he didn't quite believe him,Logan did punch open the glove compartment,and found,on top of a folded up map of Mesopotamia (!),three wrapped cigars and a silver Zippo lighter. 

Logan didn't even have to examine the cigars long;the smell told him what he needed to know."These are Cuban." 

"No,actually,they're better than that,but you'd never believe where they're from if I told you." 

Logan did believe that."I didn't know you smoked." 

"I don't,not really.I'm a salesman at heart,Logan.I pride myself on knowing what people want before they know it." 

"Like a rocket launcher?" 

Bob snorted a small laugh."Like that,yeah."As Logan reluctantly took out one of the cigars,Bob added,"Go ahead and keep the lighter if you want.A guy like you needs it more than me." 

He didn't know what he meant until he flicked open the top and lit the cigar.He ran his thumb over the outer casing just to be sure,but he knew that feeling very well."This is adamantium,"he said around the cigar,which muffled the general shock in his voice. 

"Yeah.It was made for soldiers in the trenches-well,when they allowed you to smoke.They don't like to encourage that sort of thing anymore,what with lung disease and all that.Not that either you or I have to worry about that." 

The cigar was incredible;he'd never tasted smoke quite like this before,but he couldn't bring himself to ask where they were from,in fear it would spoil it all."Yeah,I guess,"Logan replied noncommitally,flipping the lighter closed and putting it in his pocket."Thanks." 

"Want to talk about it?" 

"Talk about what?" 

"How you got that passenger in your head,"Bob said,then jerked his head towards the back seat."Don't worry,they can't hear us." 

"What the fuck are you talking about?"He asked,and,for the first time,Logan noticed that while the rocket launcher debate between Angel,Marcus,and Helga continued,he could barely hear it.It was like a distant conversation in another room...and yet he could reach back and touch them all. 

"What the fuck have you done?"He demanded,too bewildered to know how to act exactly.Maybe this was finally it-maybe his mind had finally snapped,and this was just some manifestation of his insanity. 

Frankly,that would explain everything about Bob. 

"Nothing harmful.They're just not noticing us,for now.And I've turned down their volume a bit,because I thought it might be easier for you to talk that way." 

"I don't want to talk,"he snapped angrily."Put them back,or whatever the hell you did." 

"We have to talk,Logan.I let it go on Cordy,and I almost lived to regret that.I'm not letting it go on you." 

"Do you ever speak English?" 

Bob studiously ignored that."You've got a rider,and I think you know that,you just never had a name to put to it." 

Logan glared at the side of the non-human's face,wanting very badly to pop his claws and tell him to knock it off or else.But he was such a strange man,he was not sure it would scare him."You're insane,aren't you?" 

Bob gave him an exasperated glance."People have fucked with your mind a lot,haven't they Logan?But you've survived, because you have a knack for bouncing back.Yet there's always been something in the back of your mind,sort of like a guiding force,something that helps you hold it together.Or at least it seems that way." 

"Wake me up when you start making sense,"he snarled,turning away to look out the pale grey passenger side window.They were out of the city proper now,heading towards Death Valley at a speed that was far beyond legal as Bob started to open up the throttle. 

"It talks to you sometimes,doesn't it?"Bob went on,continuing to ignore him-at his peril."A voice in your head,like a memory,which it is,and yet isn't." 

Logan felt a twinge in his gut when Bob said that.Did he mean like that woman's voice he sometimes heard?Or was he guessing?He didn't look at him,but his ghostly reflection in the window (unlike Angel,he actually had one)."Are you saying someone's still fucking with my head?" 

"Yes and no.Something left a vestige of themselves in your mind.Why,I don't know.But I do get a sense of it." 

"Something?"He repeated,scoffing in disbelief."How and why would something want to do that,Bob?" 

"Because there's something in you-or in your head-it wants to protect."Bob gave him a curious,sidelong glance."And maybe it wanted to ensure its own survival." 

Logan finally did look at him again,even though he saw only his eerily perfect profile."Meaning what?" 

"Meaning it knew it was mortal,but you were slightly more than,and more likely to outlive them.Was it a he or a she,Logan?I know you know what I'm talking about:I saw the recognition in your eyes." 

"Bullshit." 

"Look into a mirror,sometimes the mirror looks back,"Bob replied cryptically,and Logan figured out he meant when he looked at Bob's reflection in the dark glass,Bob had seen his as well. 

"What the hell are you?"He asked,sure he was losing his mind but too weary to care at the moment. 

"Would you believe me if I told you?" 

Logan thought about that for a moment,listening to the engine purr like a mammoth tiger as Bob sped recklessly down the freeway,the car gliding towards the horizon like a blade on the ice."No,probably not."He paused to puff on the exotic cigar, then added,"If she's dead,how can she still be fucking with my head?" 

"Because the part of herself she left in you didn't die;it's independent of her." 

"That doesn't make sense." 

"It's like...a psychic personality imprint,left in your mind,like a fingerprint on a gun.It's not really her,but a sort of...program left behind." 

"Program,"he repeated,hating the taste of that very familiar word in his mouth."A program to do what?" 

"I don't know.I'd have to go in and ask her myself." 

Logan raised an eyebrow at him."Are you saying you'd have to fuck with my head to figure out why she's fucking with my head?" 

"I don't want to fuck with your head,Logan.I get the impression it's not exactly a friendly place,and I think you've been fucked with enough.I just want your passenger." 

"Why?" 

"Because I'm sure you've suffered enough.And wouldn't freedom be a nice thought?" 

"Considerin' I'm being hunted by some shadowy organization,freedom is a joke,isn't it?"He spat back,suddenly really pissed off at the cryptic,strange Bob,his horny girlfriend,and all of it.He just wanted to be left alone.Why didn't people ever leave him the fuck alone? 

Bob was silent for a long moment,and Logan thought he'd finally given it up,but then he said,in a remarkably quiet voice,"There will be a time,Logan,when you will be knocked down and will never get up again.I know you don't believe that,and I don't know when it will be-a decade,a century,a millenia from now,maybe even more-but I think the rest will be well deserved.That I know you believe.But you need to make your peace,Logan,if only so you can learn to live with yourself again.No matter how strong and smart we are,how careful and clever,there is always something bigger,faster,smarter,and if it gets you,it's not your fault.No one deserves what happened to you." 

"Shut up,"he snapped,looking back out the window,feeling his face burn with equal amounts of rage and shame. 

But Bob didn't,of course."And sometimes people make decisions you'd rather they didn't,but it was theirs to make,and if you'd do the same thing in their situation,you really have no room to talk,or be angry.At her or yourself." 

Logan popped the claws of his left hand and shoved it right up to Bob's face.For his part,Bob didn't even flinch."Didn't you hear what I said?Shut up!" 

Bob's eyes scudded towards his claws,and then him.He gave him a small,sad smile."There's a time to run,and a time to turn and face things,Logan.I think you'd know that better than any of us."Bob then said,"Back to normal." 

Suddenly he could hear the debate inthe back seat at full volume,and Bob carefully moved Logan's wrist aside and turned on  his stereo low,eyes resolutely onthe road. 

Logan retracted his claws,feeling confused and angry and just generally lost.In other words,normal.He stared out the window at the desolate landscape flying by as if fleeing,and Bob began singing softly under his breath to the Tom Waits song on the radio as Angel,Helga,and Marcus had moved on to arguing over who made the best grenade launcher. 

"And their memory's like a train,"Bob sang softly,a surprisingly smooth contrast to Waits's gravelly rasp,opening the throttle even more and reducing the road to a black blur beneath their wheels."You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away.And the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget,that history puts a saint in every dream..." 

Logan wondered if he was mocking him somehow,then decided he didn't really care. 

Things couldn't get more surreal if they tried. 

    9 

    It seemed too easy on the face of it:a small,dilapidated shack in the middle of the desert,besides the charred remains of a former building foundation(house?),now mostly reclaimed by the desert and covered with sand. 

The fact that the little shed-mostly scrap wood and aluminum siding-had been painted sand colored probably helped camouflage it,although when the sun hit it at an angle it cast a shadow so obvious it was unavoidable.It was small and narrow-no bigger than six and a half feet high,and maybe half again as wide-and Erasmus knew it was too small for a lab.It also might be someone's idea of a duck blind,a trap for Enigma hunters,which is why he let Lucretia lead the way:she'd sense if something was wrong. 

She seemed to pause before trying the narrow door,which was still locked but fruitlessly,as the top hinge had rusted and fell away as she tried the roasting hot doorknob (but she brought gloves,so what was she complaining about).The whole door fell inward,leaning off to one side like a drunk holding on to the doorjamb by his fingernails as the floor pitched and yawed beneath him. 

Lu kicked the other hinge off so the door could be shoved aside,then went in,looking around cautiously as if expecting attack even in this narrow,overgrown lean-to.The only thing that attacked was the air:it was so hot in the little shed it was like walking into a fucking pizza oven.He could feel sweat instantly spring out on his face and neck,on every  exposed area of skin.And it smelled like baked dust,stale and old,a building not so much abandoned as left to burn and die. 

It was also perfectly empty. 

Lu turned towards him,scowling darkly,as he filled the slender sliver of a doorway.With her black hair pulled up in a high ponytail,and khaki walking shorts exposing slim,almost bony white legs,she looked a lot like her mother.Too bad she had been Human."There's nothing here.Look,dad,I really think we should go.I don't know who Logan's friend was,but he's... powerful.I don't think we can take him." 

"Don't be silly,girl.First of all,Logan doesn't actually have friends-just people he doesn't beat up right away.And second of all,us together can take out any other telepath.You know that.We've done it."He looked around at the whitewashed walls, blistered and peeling in the heat,searching for anything that might hint at what Enigma was hiding.Goddamn,that girl loved her puzzles. 

"I don't think he's a telepath.I don't know what he was...is.His eyes glowed..."she ran a hand through her sweaty hair, disturbing her  ponytail,and he knew she was genuinely perturbed by her premonition.But he also knew this close to Enigma's secret,they could not pack it in.And Logan-that sorry son of a bitch-while tops on a physical battlefield,he was a lamb to the slaughter on a psychic battlefield. 

"So what?Just another mutant.I'll take Glowboy if he shows up before we leave.Now why don't you use what you brought, huh?" 

She frowned again,the ghost of lines appearing in her otherwise youthful,pale face."How?" 

"Just sprinkle it around.Don't use it all,we might need some later." 

She wore a black nylon fanny pack on her left hip,and she unzipped it and pulled out a souvenir she took with her from the Big Empty,hours before it became nothing more than yet another smoking hole in the ground:a vial of Logan's blood. 

It looked just like a securely stoppered test tube full of the same red stuff that leaked out of most people,but Logan's blood was one of the most curious substances on Earth,and the science tech boys became orgasmic when they could study it.They had learned something inadvertently,although he imagined the Org tech boys already knew it-Logan's blood didn't go bad. 

After a while blood,like any other biological substance,went off,which is why it had to be refrigerated.But not Logan's;it somehow sustained itself and kept itself viable,even in one hundred and ten degree desert heat,even after a week of laying in a suitcase in the back of  truck.It could probably be transfused into someone safely,although the amount was so piddling why bother?Still,the idea of those virtually immortal white and red corpuscles,t cells from an immune system that really was that (immune-to everything),to those oddities of self-repair that no scientist had yet to put an official name to...they were tempting,especially for a man like him:feeling the ravages of time like the wind of a pendulum swinging faster and faster, coming lower and lower,cutting him with infinite slowness into a thousand tiny pieces. 

But Logan's blood alone wouldn't do anything for him,not permanently.He'd need a bone marrow transplant or some such thing to benefit from Logan's amazing cells,and even then there was no guarantee they would make a home in him for any length of time,or that he receive all the benefits from them:there'd be no guarantee he could get the shit beat out of him and still walk away,like Logan the Human punching bag.And frankly that was one aspect he wouldn't be gung ho to try,either. 

Lu pulled the stopper from the test tube and sprinkled the blood  around the room like a priest consecrating a crime scene with holy water,flecks of it running down the heat damaged walls,droplets pooling on the sand covered floor.She then put the stopper back on,and slipped the remainder of his precious,strange blood back into her hip pack. 

And then they waited.And waited. 

As soon as the smell of baking blood filled the stuffy little shack,she turned to him,nose wrinkled in disgust."What's plan B?" 

"I'm not really sure,"he admitted,scratching his head as sweat trickled down from his scalp.He assumed the trigger was Logan's DNA since she buried the info in his head,but if it there was something more-a psychic trigger,for instance-they were probably screwed.Unless,of course,he did show up,like Lu said he would. 

She huffed a disgusted snort through her nose."Great.All this risking sunstroke for nothing,"she snapped,clearly disappointed,and then the floor of the shack seemed to vibrate. 

His first thought was an earthquake,but it was far too mild,and seemed to be only shifting the sand in the hut.Lu backed up towards him as the sand seemed to spiral down a hidden drain,and a section of the floor seemed to retract in on itself, revealing a small,circular hatch by the back wall.A hatch that led straight down into darkness. 

"What were you saying about nothing?"He drawled,moving past her to look down the open hatch,barely big enough for one person,and could just make out the metal rungs of a ladder leading down the interior wall. 

'Sorry,Enigma,but you're about to be figured out',he thought triumphantly,lowering himself down the side,and starting his downward descent into cool darkness. 

*** 

    "We got a lock,but why the fuck is she in Death Valley?"Thompson the sensor tech asked as he turned away from his GPS unit. 

Colonel Gene Harris shook his head,not even wanting to hazard a guess."We're going to find that out,aren't we?" 

Ever since the debacle in Canada,where they failed to recapture Wolverine and lost seven soldiers and half a dozen vehicles in the process,the hunt had been on for Omen,assuming she had betrayed them.Luckily-and very much unknown to her-she had received a microscopic tracer in what was supposed to be a chemical warfare vaccination about two and a half weeks before the Big Empty tragedy.Luckily the thing seemed to be working,and,for reasons unknown,they had traced her location with ground units and low earth orbit satellites to Death Valley.She was moving around,so she was most likely not dead. 

Well,not yet. 

Harris sat back in his crash seat,and shouted through the open door to the cockpit of the jet,"E.t.a?" 

"Eight minutes,"the pilot,Krutzfeld,shouted back,barely audible over the constant thrum of the engines,which seemed to vibrate the fillings in his teeth. 

The troops in the plane were geared up and ready,looking almost narcotized in their state of waiting.Of course,she was a telepath,and you couldn't fight them with humans alone. 

"Of course I'm ready,"the telepath,who called himself Prometheus snapped irritably,giving him a glance that could boil water before looking away in disgust. 

Older than most telepaths he had encountered (unhappily) in his tour of duty,Prometheus (actually Donald Marston) looked like a perpetually pissed Uncle,with a hard bitten face as sharp as a diamond,in spite of the wrinkles creasing his brow and his pale,nearly colorless blue eyes.His slicked back hair was steel grey,and he seemed to radiate with the pent up angst of a man seated next to his ex-wife at the family reunion.He'd have preferred to take along any telepath but this one,but beggars couldn't be choosers. 

Harris closed his eyes,gripping his rifle tight as he mentally counted down the seconds.It would be nice to get the fuck out of this plane and away from Prometheus.It would also be nice to do some old fashioned mutie hunting once more,without worrying about Wolverine and his grenade packing friends showing up to spoil the party. 

But they had prepared for that contingency,just in case.You could never trust a mutant. 

    10 

    The sky was a dark,bruise purple by the time they hit Death Valley,an almost featureless expanse that seemed to spread out forever in all directions.In spite of the darkness,Bob claimed he saw fresh tire tracks and followed them,the GTO chewing up sand like pavement as they went off road.Angel could sort of see the tire tracks-wide:a truck,a Road Ranger?-but not that well,especially as soon as Bob began following them and burying them in his own tracks or the backwash of sand kicked up by the tires. 

"You're riding on the tail of a son of a bitch,"Bob sang happily to nothing,as if this was all some great lark.And maybe to him it was."High in the saddle make my backbone itch,and I'll buck you off my trailer hitch.And I'm here to break your fall." 

"Do you ever shut up?"Logan asked,scowling in annoyance,and Helga laughed,knowingly and musically. 

Bob smiled though,and gave Logan a sidelong glance."Nah,not really.Do I hon?" 

"Only when I gag you,"she replied,with a wry smile. 

Marcus chuckled,shaking his head as he looked out the window,pushing his goggles up on top of his head."You guys are fucking nuts." 

"I haven't even mentioned the manacles yet,"Helga drawled. 

"Now honey,that's just for special occasions,"Bob replied,giving her an appreciative glance in the rearview mirror. 

Logan shook his head with a disgusted snort,and Angel wondered if he had missed something.Logan seemed a lot more impatient with Bob than he had been when he'd gotten in the car.But they hadn't had much in the way of conversation...had they? 

Oh shit-it was Bob.They could have had a full blown argument complete with fisticuffs,and Bob could have erased their memories of it or simply had them never notice it.But that was why they wanted Bob in the first place,right?He may have billed himself as  the 'king of all bullshitters',but in truth he was the king of all mind games.Usually more for fun than profit. 

But Angel knew the potentialities of this turning bad were very high:he had a feeling Logan and Bob were an explosive mix of personalities.They were polar opposites-Logan seemed to get along with no one,and Bob,at least on the surface,seemed to get along with everyone.But he knew that was a facade on Bob's part,and he had a feeling Logan sensed that deception immediately,hence the fact that they were possibly fire and gasoline.Yet he had a feeling in a battle royale between this  Organization and Maximum Bob,the Organization never even had a prayer.They could prepare for Logan,for Naomi,and maybe now even him,but was there any preparation possible for the likes of Bob?He seriously hoped he hadn't made one of the bigger mistakes of his life. 

"Bugger me,look at that,"Bob exclaimed,as he slewed the car dangerously fast around a large rock formation,and almost crashed head on into a maroon Road Ranger parked behind it at a slight angle,possibly to face whatever shade there had been when it was parked. 

Somehow,Bob turned the GTO at a sharp angle,and managed to bring it to a stop before it but somehow avoided slamming into it,even as the tires skidded dangerously towards it on the sand. 

"I thought you knew how to drive,"Logan groused at him. 

That made Bob laugh."Hey,nobody's a better desert driver than me.I could spend days doing donuts in the Outback." 

"Actually,it was three hours last time,and eventually you turned the car over,"Helga said,her tail snaking over Marcus to yank open the car door handle.He seemed a bit surprised by that. 

"Well,where the hell did that dingo come from?And that rock?It wasn't my fault.Besides,who had their tail in my lap,hmm? You can really break a guy's concentration,love-even at one hundred and sixty miles an hour." 

"I really don't want to hear this,"Angel admitted,getting out of the car before Bob had killed the engine. 

"Are you guys saying you were in a rollover at a hundred and sixty miles an hour?"Marcus asked,sounding dubious. 

"Afraid so.Wrecked a real good four by four too."Bob said ruefully. 

"And you're saying you weren't hurt?" 

"We had our safety harnesses on." 

"If you're racing with Bob,you need them,"Helga said,and it sounded like she was speaking from experience. 

"You're all full of shit,"Logan snapped bitterly,getting out and slamming the car door. 

"Ooh,somebody needs a good fuck pretty badly,"Helga purred,laughing under her breath.She seemed pretty serious,though. 

Logan ignored her,stalking towards the Road Ranger,and Angel followed close behind. 

"She's here,"Logan said."I can smell her." 

Angel thought he could smell the humans-including at least one who had smoked-had driven the truck,but that was about all.Logan either had a better sense of smell,or simply knew Omen's scent well enough to find it in spite of cigarettes or time. 

"Which direction,Wombat?"Bob asked,locking up his car. 

Marcus laughed,and Angel covered his mouth and pretended to cough so Logan didn't catch him laughing. 

"Wolverine,asshole,"Logan snarled back at the grinning Bob (of course Bob had done it on purpose)."I know funnier dead guys,Bob.Keep it up and you'll meet them." 

"Whoa,"Helga said."Cool your jets,Hulk." 

"I've actually met several funny dead guys,"Bob said,not only unfazed by the threat but smiling broadly."Maybe you should introduce Angel to 'em:he needs to loosen up." 

"Hey,"Angel said defensively,but everyone seemed to ignore him,and Helga just laughed again. 

"Everybody shut up,"Logan snapped,cocking his head at an odd angle.Since he was obviously listening for something, everybody obliged without snarky comments,and Angel strained to listen too.For a moment,he just heard the remarkably cool breeze kicking up and disturbing the sand,pelting grit against the rocks...what the hell was that? 

Logan's brow furrowed as he tried to discern the type of noise and its direction,and from the look on Bob's face-serious,all humor gone-he heard it too.Helga and Marcus looked at the three of them,puzzled.Stansin's hearing wasn't above human norm,and maybe Marcus's wasn't either;Angel didn't know him well enough to be sure. 

The noise was something like some shushing along in the sand-a lot of somethings.It could have been nothing more than an abnormally large grouping of sidewinders or other desert snakes on the move,but Angel seriously doubted that. 

The noise of Logan popping his claws seemed almost explosively loud in the silence,and as he used his claws to climb up the roughly kidney shaped chunk of sandblasted red rock,Marcus came over,presumably to join him.But he paused and whispered to Angel,his dilated dark eyes wide,"Even in all this heat,Angel,you register as the coldest thing here." 

"His type are really cold blooded,"Helga offered,whispering so low her voice was barely audible. 

Marcus climbed up after Logan,although he took longer since he had to search for hand and foot holds in the craggy rock,and Angel decided to follow. 

Bob and Helga stayed together at the base of the rock,watching them,but Bob leaned over and whispered something to Helga,who simply nodded.Angel couldn't hear what he said,but knowing Bob,it was probably for the best. 

Once Angel had joined Logan and Marcus peering over the top of the rock,it took a moment for his eyes to adjust.It was dark enough that a few stars were coming out now,like flakes of diamond on indigo velvet,and they were so far from any city there was absolutely no ambient light whatsoever;even the moon,in it's 'new' phase,was unavailable to help.At first,Angel thought the ground itself was moving,but then he realized it was people dressed head to toe in black,moving quietly through the dark:commandos. 

And they seemed to be filtering into a tiny shack,maybe a hundred yards away from them. 

"Unless they're actually clowns,there's no way in hell more than two guys could fit in there,"Marcus commented quietly,as the sixth soldier Angel saw entered the hut. 

"It's probably an opening to something,"Angel offered,as two heavily armed,body armored soldiers took up positions beyond the shed,clearly guarding it. 

"They're sweltering in those suits,"Marcus said.It was not an opinion-he surely knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

"Hey,what the fuck is he doing?"Logan suddenly snapped,and it took Angel a moment to see what he meant. 

Bob was walking out across the sand,deceptively casual,heading for the soldiers. 

*** 

    Considering these guys were purported to be professionals,Bob got about thirty feet closer than he thought he would by the time they noticed him. 

"Freeze motherfucker,"the closest soldier barked,raising his assault rifle until it was level with his face. 

"You freeze,"Bob replied,and he did,becoming as instantly motionless and rigid as a statue. 

His partner about twenty five feet beyond him raised his rifle too,but Bob didn't even give him time to issue a pointless order."Goodnight,"he said dismissively,and the soldier crumpled to the sand,asleep before he hit the ground. 

The funny thing was soldiers were always easiest to push:they were broken down and conditioned to take orders,after all.Not a lot of will to butt up against. 

Bob turned his attention back to the frozen soldier,and told him,"Get rid of that." 

Dutifully,the soldier shrugged the strap of the rifle off his shoulder and tossed it aside.He thought about telling him to take off the helmet,but Bob decided it was probably best he didn't see how young this sorry son of a bitch was."Now,why are you here,son?" 

"To capture or kill a rogue telepath,code name Omen." 

The woman Logan had mentioned.Curious.Yes,they were on the right track,but what had brought Logan here?A hunch. Logan had no psychic abilities whatsoever,beyond a primal sense of intuition that probably only aided his 'fight or flight' response (although,in Logan's case,it was a 'fight or fight again' response),so why had his hunch been so dead on?It was the rider in his head,wasn't it?Could it be this Omen? 

"How has she gone rogue?"If she was Logan's rider,it could have been a call for help-but why call for help?Because the rider in Logan's head was not mutant:it was demonic. 

"She missed a check in,and was absent at a rendezvous to bring in Wolverine that turned into an ambush." 

Ah.Either it was miscommunication,or Omen had decided she didn't need them anymore,and thought she could simply get away.It didn't work for Logan-why did she think it would work for her? 

Oh,he loved telepaths with God complexes.They were so fun to take down. 

"You brought in another mutant to rein in Omen,didn't you?"Bob asked the boy,seeing only the echo of his own reflection in his black helmet's faceplate.They had to be absolutely baking in those things. 

The boy nodded."Prometheus.I think we should kill him." 

"Why?" 

"He's a prick." 

"Fair enough."Bob could hear shuffling in the sand behind him,and knew the others were venturing out to join him.He hoped Angel had briefed them on the fact that he could take these guys without a problem,but that didn't mean Logan would ever believe it,of course.But considering how much he'd be screwed over,Bob couldn't blame him for a little cynicism. "How many in your unit,mate?" 

"Twenty five,counting the mutie." 

"What mutie?"Logan demanded,his voice traveling far over the sands.Yep,he had pretty acute hearing all right. 

"Prometheus,"Bob said,as the soldier was unlikely to have even heard him.His world,for the moment,began and ended at Bob's eyes."Brought in to help hold down Omen,it seems.They seem to think she's gone rogue." 

Logan snorted derisively."Is that what he says?" 

"He can't lie,"Angel told Logan."Bob's..." 

"Bob,"Helga offered. 

Logan made a noise that suggested that was a less than satisfying explanation,but it was just going to have to do for now. 

"What's in the shed?"Bob asked the boy. 

"I'm not sure.An opening of some sort,a passageway.Omen is down there." 

"And the rest of the unit?" 

"Yes." 

"Good boy.You're going to go to sleep and never remember any of this.Night."Bob told him,and the boy didn't collapsed more than he sort of listed to the side and toppled over,ending up face down in the warm sand. 

"Okay,now that's creepy too,"Marcus said,although this time he didn't sound amused. 

Helga's tail flicked down at the edge of his vision,and he saw her pick up the boy's discarded firearm.Transferring it to her hands,she shook the sand out of it,and said,"I didn't know American soldiers sported Kalishnikovs." 

"These guys aren't standard issue,"Logan grumbled,and Bob could feel the anger radiating from him like heat from the sand. Bob couldn't blame him,but these were grunts,just following orders:the people really responsible for mutilating him were probably far,far away,lounging on some beach somewhere,comforting themselves with the knowledge that if the blood never actually touched their hands it's not their fault.And Logan probably knew that;his rage was simply bigger than he was. 

"And I think this is international,not just American,"Marcus added grimly. 

"Well,maybe I can find the head cheese and ask,"Bob said."Come on,Logan.Helga,take point." 

"Hey,who made you the leader?"Logan snapped. 

"I did.I can take out the entire unit without shedding blood,and that includes the telepaths.Can you say the same thing?" Bob asked Logan,not wanting to be cruel,but hell,it was the truth. 


	6. Part 6

Logan glared at him angrily,resenting the truth,and shot back,"No.But maybe we should shed some blood." 

Bob felt so bad for him he could have hugged him,but he knew that Logan would probably attempt to impale him if he dared to touch him,nonetheless take it the wrong way."It won't take back what they did to you,"Bob told him."And it won't bring her back." 

The anger flared in Logan's eyes as Bob took in everyone else-Angel,Marcus,Helga-with a glance over Logan's shoulder,and said,"You didn't hear that." 

Logan looked back at them,and then at him again,confusion swamping anger once more. 

Bob simply turned and headed for the shed,assuming they would follow.Maybe once he cleaned out that rider in his head, Logan could get a little peace. 

Well,in theory,at any rate. 

    11 

    Enigma's underground lab was an adamantium lined warren of similar looking corridors connected to a nexus of similar looking rooms,and was nothing like Omen had ever seen before in her life.Even some of the Organization's lab weren't this high tech looking,and this was place was how old? 

It was cold enough down here to make her shiver,and it smelled stale,like dust and time,and she hugged herself to keep warm as white light panels slowly lit up inside the ceiling as they continued down the hallways,footsteps echoing ahead and behind them like some distortion of a nightmare. 

"What are we looking for?"She asked,perhaps for the millionth time.She was starting to annoy herself. 

"We'll know it when we see it,"Erasmus said,although she believed now that was bullshit.He wanted to believe that was the case,but he honestly didn't know. 

The room they had walked through so far were empty,as if graverobbers had come and cleaned out the tombs long before they found it,but of course Dad insisted that was not possible,as only Logan could have gained access to it.Or someone with access to Logan's DNA,like them,but he hadn't mentioned that. 

Since everything looked the same,she couldn't shake the feeling they had been going around in circles,and it all seemed so perfectly pointless she wanted to leave. 

They went into another room,which seemed to look like all the others-stainless metal,featureless;it was like being in the compartment of a t.v. dinner tray-but this time there was a sort of depression against the far right wall,like someone had been slammed head first into the wall hard enough to leave an imprint. 

Dad headed straight for it and she reluctantly followed,rubbing her arms to warm them up and subside the gooseflesh,and after examining it for a moment,he said,"I wonder if a drop of blood here will do something." 

She took the vial out with a roll of her eyes and handed it to him,wanting nothing more than to leave,now.Why had she ever even come here in the first place? 

He took the vial,seemingly never noticing her distaste,but didn't take the cap off more than he simply lifted it enough to splash a bit of Logan's blood on his fingertip.He smeared a bit of it on the inside of the depression before snapping the cap on tight and handing her back the test tube,which she slipped back into her bag. 

"Now,let's see if this puppy does something,"he said hopefully,taking a cautious step back. 

She did too,although she wasn't sure why. 

They waited,and for a moment,nothing happened.Did anything ever happen right away? 

But there was a rumble beneath their feet,and with a small grinding noise,like a piece of machinery almost rusty from disuse, the wall before them started to retract,withdrawing inside itself on an unseen track.A blast of air even colder and staler than the rest gasped out of the dark opening,and as she coughed discreetly,Erasmus stepped forward warily,craning his neck to look inside the dark room. 

A light came on slowly,starting out dim in the ceiling above but growing slowly and steadily,like a flame,illuminating not the lab she sort of expected but a room no bigger than a walk in closet,all metal,right down to the table that took up the middle of the room,growing from the floor like a tumor. 

"All of this for...this?"She asked incredulously,more disappointed than she would have been previously willing to admit. 

"Now,come on hon,you know Enigma loved her puzzles.This is probably a box inside a box."He said it with an awful lot of hope,but that's exactly what it was-wishful thinking. 

She followed him in as he started to search the stainless steel table,running his hands over the top and leaving a smear of blood across its silver surface."Come on,darlin',time to stop playing hard to get,"Dad muttered to himself,as she looked around the compartment (well,it was too tiny to be properly called a room). 

Following her Dad's reasoning,Enigma made this room specifically for Logan-and was Logan the touchy feely,'scour the room for clues' type?No,he was the 'kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out' type,and of all people Enigma had to know that better than anyone.So,if she was Logan,what would she do? 

Break open the table.It wasn't even adamantium-it was steel.So much for Erasmus the detective;he hadn't even noticed that yet. 

She had no real need for weapons,being both a telepath and an occasional psychic,but she did have several souvenirs from her tenure in the Organization,including an adamantium bladed utility knife.It couldn't possibly be as efficient as Logan's claws,but surely it would cut through the top of the table. 

A box within a box,huh?She pulled the knife out of her pack,and decided to see for herself. 

She took the protective sheath off the utility knife and stabbed it down towards the table. 

"Lu,what the hell..!"Erasmus shouted,jumping back in case she meant the blade for him.But instead it slammed hard through the tabletop,making a hollow thudding sort of noise as she punctured the surface and then seemed to whine as dragged the knife along,making a vertical gash in the silver skin. 

It took more strength than she had thought,and she wondered if they had given Logan the entire metal skeleton just so he'd have the requisite strength to operate those claws as she pondered the next location to slash at. 

"Christ on a camel,what the fuck has gotten into you?!"Dad exclaimed,irritated enough that his eyes took on that dangerous glass gleam that usually meant someone was about to get hurt. 

But he was only an empath,an emotional manipulator-she was a telepath,and therefore stronger.She hadn't been afraid of him for a very long time."She made this for Logan,right?I'm thinking like Logan." 

"If you really were thinkin' like him,we'd both be dead by now,"he snapped bitterly.He was just jealous he hadn't thought of it first. 

There was another tremble in the metal floor beneath them,but it was minor,a little grumble,and the seam she had made in the top of the table seemed to grow wider of its own accord,the whole table breaking in half like a hatching egg.They both stepped back as far as possible in the tiny room,watching it like it was a volcano about to erupt,and Omen held her knife out protectively,but god knew what she could do against a piece of machinery with a utility knife.Assuming it was a piece of machinery. 

The table frame cracked completely and fell away,thumping to the floor hard enough to leave dents,revealing...a smaller black table. 

"Talk about an anti-climax,"she sighed,equally relieved and disappointed. 

But Dad crouched down beside the plinth shaped object,and said,"I think there's an opening here.Give me your knife." 

Her planned remark,about reminding him to say 'please',was swallowed as she heard another noise,traveling from far down the corridors.The one good thing about this metal labyrinth was that small sounds traveled far;it was like an echo chamber.  
And what she heard were the scuff of boots on the metallic floor.And more boots.More. 

Erasmus scowled up at her,hand out for the knife,but even he looked confused when he finally heard the noise. "Company.Logan?"He whispered,then smiled gleefully."I'll just scare the piss out of him and send him runnin' off." 

He looked off through walls and corridors as he concentrated on emotionally 'pushing' Logan away,and Omen felt another chill,independent of the cold,dead air in this place.It was like someone with ice cold fingers had reached out and touched her spine,caressing every vertebrae,making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.It was psychic power unlike anything she'd ever experienced before-it was unearthly and inhuman. 

Dad made a strange noise and fell back on his ass,colorless eyes wide and startled as he looked up at her and gasped in disbelief,"I got cut off and kicked out.That isn't possible!I can't even find Logan-is he here?It's not him,is it?" 

Omen felt her heart stutter in her chest.She was now hearing the noise of what had to be multiple footsteps,and the brief static crackle of what could only have been a radio quickly silenced seemed to indicate it was the Organization that had somehow found them.But that was not what she had felt,and they did not concern her in the least. 

He did. 

That Australian man with the glowing blue eyes...but he wasn't really a man,was he?It would have been a mercy if he was a man.So if he wasn't a man,what the hell was he? 

She glared down at her father,who,in fear,looked like the world's oldest and ugliest child."You should have listened to me,old man,"she spat angrily,taking her own fear out on the most available and obvious target."We're stuck in this goddamn place, and he's coming!" 

"What's coming?"He asked,so surprised by her anger he seemed almost cowed. 

She was gripping the knife so hard her fingers felt cold from decreased blood flow,and she wasn't sure she'd be able to straighten them again.But this knife would be no help at all.Doom shrouded her completely,enveloping her like the icy air.It was like death itself was stalking the halls,coming straight for them with a gruesome smile on its maggot eaten lips. 

"The death of us,"she admitted,and it felt like defeat. 

    12 

    Bob got a sense of Humans before he was even half way down the ladder. 

"You're out,"he said,jumping down from the top of the ladder and landing feet first in front of two soldiers,who had spun towards him,rifles raised.Instantly they fell away,unconscious,hitting the floor with muted metallic thuds.The whole place appeared metal-it was like being inside a gigantic aluminum lunchbox. 

Except there were light panels in the ceiling.He had yet to see a lighted lunchbox,but surely that was another pointless use of technology to come down the pike soon. 

He had taken maybe two steps forwards when Logan jumped beside him,his whole body coiled like a spring.Clearly he was aching for a fight,and was a little disappointed to find that one was not forthcoming."You didn't save some for me?"He growled low in his throat. 

"Nothing to save,"Bob pointed out,then stepped over the first soldier and headed down the first silver corridor.It was empty- the rest had surely gone on ahead after their prey-but after a few seconds,when Angel,Marcus,and Helga (respectively) had joined the little revenge fueled bunny hop train (he loved the mental picture that called up-and Helga would love the irony of being the 'tail' of the train),he felt...something.A small burst of psychic energy like an anemic breeze in the dead of summer,and as he turned to look behind him,Logan froze,eyes staring straight ahead as his pupils expanded,black pinpoints dilated to ink blots,and he could suddenly smell fear on him,a blue vein in his  temple almost visibly throbbing enough for Bob to guess his pulse. 

Bob knew it wasn't telepathy...some sort of tele-empathy?Cute.The funniest thing was the bastard thought it might work. 

Logan looked through him,wide eyed,and started to say,"I think this is another trap-" 

Bob looked him straight in the eyes,and grabbed him by the shoulders;already rock hard,they seemed to tense even more,and Bob knew he was risking a clawing here,but only for a millisecond or so.He caught his frightened eyes and held them fast with his own,aware of the new intruder in his mind like a snake slithering in the shadows.So did that suddenly make him the mongoose?"Logan-they can't control you.Your mind is a fortress and they cannot touch you:they can't even get inside.They are nothing-white noise.Shrug them off." 

Of course,physical contact helped Bob shove them-well,no:him.A weakly talented,patently soulless him,probably the world's biggest coward when he couldn't play with people's heads-out the door of Logan's mind and give them a little kick in the metaphorical ass,just for good measure.But it was up to Logan's mind and will to keep them out,and Bob was sure he had more than enough for the job-he just never knew how to access it. 

Logan's eyes turned back to green ice as his pupils shrank back to normal size as Bob released his hold,the empath banished and locked out,and Logan did shrug him off.That is to say,Bob. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"Logan snapped,dark brows drawing down in dangerously annoyed slants. 

Bob stepped back,hands raised slightly to show he meant no harm.Of course,he could take Logan whenever he wanted to- save for that unfortunate incident with Bellara,there really wasn't anyone who couldn't be his whenever he wanted them.But he was not a pocket megalomaniac who got his jollies off of controlling others (well,for the most part-but the idea of an Angel butler was pretty damn funny),unlike Omen and her apparent friend,and several other mutant and demon telepaths he could think of.Just because you could do it didn't mean you should. 

And he liked Logan.In some respects,he reminded him of himself as a young man,although he hoped he'd never quite been so...unpersonable.Or hairy.Although a big bad ass-and he was,it wasn't just bluster,and you just had to love that-he hadn't lost his sense of humanity,although you couldn't have blamed him if he had turned his back on them for a while.Angel had, even Bob had,a long,long time ago,and they hadn't suffered half the torment Logan had. 

"He's just trying to help,"Angel offered,having witnessed the whole thing.Marcus had too,but it was clear he wasn't completely sure what had just taken place.Helga knew,but she just looked bored;as always,she was just in it for the action. 

"The soldiers are that way,"Logan growled,gesturing briefly up the corridor behind him."Did you lose your sense of direction?" 

Bob noticed that Marcus,now squinting due to the lights in the corridor,gave him the strangest look before he slid his protective goggles back on over his dark eyes."Bro,I think he just made you completely immune,"he drawled,almost sounding kind of jealous. 

"To what?"Logan asked,his irritation unabated."I'm immune to everything anyways." 

"Not to telepaths." 

Logan stared at Bob,caught somewhere in the void between irritation,disbelief,and anger."What?Did you do that?How could you do that?" 

Bob decided there was no way to answer that Logan would accept or like.So he simply told him,truthfully,"The power is in you,Logan.I only tried to bring it out.The rest is up to you." 

"Are we going to hunt these bastards down before the next Ice Age or what?"Helga demanded,her tail twitching impatiently, her hands gripping her borrowed Kalishnikov tight enough for her knuckles to turn a paler shade of green. 

"What is this place anyways?It looks like one of theirs,"Angel said,as Bob turned and continued down the hall. 

"Except it isn't as well guarded,"Marcus noted,as eager to move things on as Angel,apparently. 

"And they wouldn't raid their own place,unless it was for our benefit."Logan grudgingly added. 

"And if it was a set up,the soldier would have told me,"Bob pointed out,as he rounded a strangely severe curve.All these metal corridors had corners as sharp as machetes:falling into one would probably slice you to ribbons.It was that tiny detail- something that could be attributed to a design flaw,that made Bob think this place was created by a demon,or a mutant so far removed from humanity their brain had sort of turned that way. 

Logan's rider?Is that what had brought him here?Was he unknowingly protecting one of her creations? 

Well,this had certainly gotten more interesting. 

Sound carried easily in this place,like tin can telephones children used to play with,so the sounds of fighting could now be heard plainly and clearly,even though it was probably coming from deep within this maze.But there was something odd about the cursing,the thud of fists against flesh,of bodies against metal,that almost made Bob pause.It was Logan who first named the missing piece of the puzzle."Why no gunshots?"He wondered. 

Yes-these boys were armed to the teeth.So why not shoot each other? 

Only one answer occurred to Bob."Because someone doesn't want them to." 

"I smell blood,"Angel said,as they got ever closer to the source of the noise,the sounds of fighting so loud they were almost deafening. 

Logan grunted in agreement."So do I." 

Bob could too-a cloying,coppery smell that was,regretfully,far too familiar."Maybe I should go ahead on my own,"he said,but even before it was out of his mouth,he knew it wouldn't work-none of this group were the patient 'hang back and wait' type. 

No one even bothered to acknowledge him as they turned one more severe corner,and walked straight into a hockey game.Well,a hockey type brawl,at any rate. 

The twenty four soldiers were beating the living shit out of each other,a rather difficult prospect since they were all wearing that chunky black body armor.Some had had their helmets ripped off,though,which accounted for the blood splattered sparingly on the shiny silver surfaces of the walls and floor:there were several bloody noses and split lips,and an occasional loose tooth in a gobbet of spit out blood on the floor.It was far from a pretty sight-it reminded him of a bar in Sydney called Rollo's on a Friday night,where men were men and sheep were scared. 

Almost as one,the group of bloody soldiers paused,saw them,and charged. 

"Knockout gas,"Bob said,and several in the middle of the pack collapsed,but he had not caught the eyes of all of them,and as several surged by him,others in the back trampled the fallen in their homicidal charge forward. 

"Don't shoot!"He shouted to Helga,as he ducked a hastily thrown punch.He didn't know why the telepaths pulling their strings made them forget their guns,but he assumed there was a damn good reason. 

He straightened up as the soldier who tried to punch him,a wild eyed boy who could have been one of his great-grandkids, pulled his fist back for another shot."Lights out,"Bob shouted,looking him straight in the eye.His knees seemed to give way mid-punch,buckling as his eyes rolled back in his head,showing whites as he hit the floor. 

Man,this was going to be ugly. 

    13 

    Logan hadn't the slightest idea what these guy's deal was,but he was glad to get a little action.Finally. 

The first soldier without a helmet  ran straight into an upper cut that sent him flying back into a guy behind him,setting off a small chain reaction of soldiers toppling like dominos,but that hardly stopped them. 

They had a vacant yet crazed look in their eyes-those whose eyes he could see-and they stank of adrenaline:it was like they'd all gotten hypos of it straight in the heart. 

Mind control?Maybe. 

The hallway was narrow,so they had to spread out to have any fighting room at all,but in spite of the size of the horde,it was a very brief melee. 

He already knew Angel and Marcus could fight,but there seemed to be no reason to worry about strange Bob or grabby Helga. 

As he caught a charging soldier and spun around,throwing him face first into the wall,he saw Helga smash one of the soldiers in the head with the butt of her gun,and grab another one around the throat  with her tail and toss him down the hall like a bag of garbage.So her tail was good for something other than grabbing his ass. 

Bob didn't seem to be doing much physical fighting at all.He blocked a punch here,smacked somebody when he couldn't stand it anymore,but mainly just looked at them and made them pass out.That was a handy ability to have. 

He threw a hard elbow,knocking out some dickhead who tried to grab him from behind,and out of the corner of his eye he saw Angel nearly take someone's head off with a spinning backheel kick,as he noticed something else. 

Bob was cutting quite a swath at the head of the hallway,the bodies scattered on the floor around him like trees blasted down by a volcanic eruption,and just beyond them there was a bend in corridor-what the soldiers were supposed to keep them from reaching,he bet.What else would they have attacked them en masse? 

Well,for fun,certainly,but most likely it was a diversion,or some lame ass attempt to kill them or at least slow them down. 

"Logan,on your zero,"Marcus called out,and Logan instantly knew that meant he had someone trying to get him from behind,although how he knew that he couldn't say.Still,he threw back a fist and nailed some asshole right in the face,and didn't bother to turn and see the bastard fall as he punched and kicked his way through the remain crowd,eager to see what the telepaths were hiding,and where. 

Bob turned as Logan stepped over the bodies towards him,although if he tried to use his power on him Logan didn't notice. 

"You want them that bad?"Bob asked,and it took him a moment to understand what the hell he was saying. 

"And what does that mean?" 

"You walked away from a fight for them,"Bob pointed out. 

Logan glanced at over his shoulder at the fallen soldiers,and they were pretty much all fallen now,as Helga,Marcus,and Angel batted around the last remaining ones without much difficulty."There isn't any fight anymore."He gestured with his head at the corridor beyond Bob."They're down there,aren't they?You can pick 'em up or whatever." 

He nodded."Yes,I can.But do you know why you're here?" 

Okay,now he was just being a deliberate asshole.Again."Because I want to shake their hands and buy 'em a beer.To kill them, jackass."He walked around Bob,and resented the sudden feeling that Bob had deliberately let him go.Where had that thought come from? 

"But that's not what brought you here.She brought you here,Logan.Do you know why?" 

For some reason,that statement made his stomach constrict,sending a stab of acid through his gut,freezing him in his tracks. Was it fear,anger,or something else?He didn't know;the feeling was so bizarre and alien,he didn't know what to make of it. Nor did he know why Bob saying that would make him feel that way."I want that bitch Omen-that's all I want,"he growled, glaring back at Bob,trying to shut him up with a look acrid enough to take off a layer of skin. 

But he should have known that wasn't enough to make Bob shut his trap or back down,like a sensible person."But that's not what brought you here,Logan.You know that." 

Logan ignored him and walked on,feeling Bob's eyes on him like the rays of a cold sun,and got a sense he was followed.But if Bob brought up that shit again he'd deck him. 

He didn't have to go far before he found some sort of room off to the right side of the corridor,and again he smelled his own blood.Angel had speculated that they were using it for something,but nobody had an idea what,except Bob,who said,"It's how they opened the door." But that made no sense at all. 

The light coming from the room was faint,and at first glance it was empty,but Logan could smell them,and popped his claws as he approached the door. 

And someone hung an automatic rifle around the side of the door,and opened fire. 

As the first slugs pounded into Logan,Bob shoved him aside,and shouted,"Molten lead!" 

The man-it was a man-screamed as if in agony,the gun dropping from his hand like it was indeed molten,and he continued to shriek bloody murder as Logan ignored the angry pain of the bullet wounds and rushed into the room,looking for Omen. 

But what he found was a screaming Erasmus,clutching his hand like it was nothing more than a stump when in fact it looked fine,and a shattered table in the center of the room.Omen had been here-so had another man-but they were no longer here.A visual search of the room showed that there had been a square hastily cut in the far wall,big enough for people to get through if they crawled out on their hands and knees. 

"Son of a bitch,"he muttered,before turning to kick the slumped and screaming Erasmus in the head,knocking him cold.At least it finally shut him up. 

"How could they go?There's no way out of this place."Marcus said irately,sidling behind him into the tiny room. 

"They made a way,"Logan pointed out. 

"That's why the soldiers didn't shoot,"Bob said."Adamantium coated bullets might have gone through the walls,and they were escaping through the walls." 

Logan shook his head,wondering why he hadn't heard them,and started for the impromptu hatch cut in the wall when someone grabbed his arm and hauled him to a stop.He wasn't surprised to see it was Bob. 

"There's no need to go through there.They're either in or out;I think I can figure out which and save time." 

Logan yanked his arm out of his grip,and realized he smelled funny.Bob now had a funny metallic sort of smell,kind of like... 

"Oh shit honey,you got nailed,"Helga suddenly exclaimed,and Logan glanced at Bob and noticed he had blue streaks  running down his white shirt,rivulets that looked like bright blue paint.Was that blood? 

Bob made a sort of dismissive noise as he went to the opening and kneeled beside it."It's just a bullet wound.I'll live." 

"Bullets kill Belials,"Angel said,wandering over to the strange ruin of a table.Was it a table?Even Angel scowled at it like he didn't know for sure. 

"When you get to my age,you find yourself getting less and less mortal,"Bob said cryptically,putting one of his hands flat against the interior wall of Omen's escape hatch.After a moment,he started muttering to himself,and Logan became distantly aware he was singing to himself again."In the land of the blind,be king..." 

Logan joined Angel and Marcus at the shattered stump of furniture in the center of the room,and asked,"What the hell was this?" 

Marcus shrugged his massive shoulders."Got me.Looks like it used to be a workbench or something." 

Angel crouched down on the opposite side of  the ruin,and seemed to be examining something. 

Logan sniffed at the smell coming off of it,and frowned."Again with my blood.Are they carrying a fucking bag of it with them?" 

"It's not a lot,"Angel offered,then got a strange look on his face."They opened the table.Something was in here." 

"What the hell could be in that?"Helga asked.She stayed by the door with her rifle,as if covering their backs.He had a feeling she had seen quite a bit of action in her life.After glancing back out the door and seeing no one,she asked,"Got anything,old man?" 

Logan guessed she was talking to Bob. 

"Lucretia,my reflection,"he muttered,then said,in a louder voice,"They're outside and making a run for it,but they won't get very far." 

"Well,come on,let's go,"Logan snapped."What the hell are we standing around here for?" 

"Patience,my child,"Bob said,getting up and turning around.For a moment,his eyes blazed a blue so bright it was like they had become neon,two stars going nova,but in a blink they were back to normal,and Logan wasn't completely sure if he had seen that or not."They're not going anywhere." 

*** 

    Omen knew her father might not last very long against...well,whatever the hell that guy was...but she also knew he had to create a diversion and stall so they could escape.Of course,he wasn't going to go along with that-but he was only an empath, and he really had no say in the manner once they made up their minds.Father or not,someone had to escape.And hadn't he been the one to risk everything to get Enigma's 'secret'? 

The secret she now held in her hands:a secret that looked an awful lot like a locked box you might cushion a syringe in.A rather large syringe.And the 'key to the human problem' was in this white metal box,hardly bigger than an eyeglass case?She doubted it.But she was very careful with it at any rate.It had to be valuable to someone.Why else had the Organization come here? 

Prometheus-although a dickhead supreme-was at least a member of the mutant group working inside the Organization too. Otherwise he'd have been irredeemable.But if he didn't stop complaining,she was going to give him a taste of her adamantium knife. 

"I do not crawl through walls,"he complained,as they climbed the ladder back up into the shack.The sound of fighting had just dimmed to nothing,and she couldn't sense any of the soldier's minds anymore-they had been snuffed out and removed from her control one by one,with a rapidity she had not anticipated,although in retrospect she realized she should have. That...thing,whatever he was,was like a growing psychic thunderhead:she could almost taste ozone in her mouth,could feel the electricity making the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand on end.She refused to be scared of a fellow mutant,but since she was now well convinced he was not one-she still had no idea what else he could be,since normal humans just weren't built like that-she decided to simply embrace the fear. 

"Too fucking bad,you just did,"she snapped back at him,sliding through the shack's narrow doorway.At first,she heard a strange noise she thought might be coming from a mutant 'friend' of Logan's waiting for them,but it was just one of the two outside guards snoring. 

Snoring? 

They both had their body armor on,so they couldn't have used drugs or gas on them-could they have?This was just too weird to bother with right now. 

She moved fast across the desert,warm sand leaking into her boots with every other step,not really caring if Prometheus was keeping up or not:she had no intention of sharing with him anyways. 

And that was when she suddenly stopped. 

She thought she was still going forward;she wanted to go forward.But it was as if her legs froze,and no matter how hard she tried to scream them (mentally) into moving forward,or moving at all,they wouldn't.It was like her body had suddenly developed a separate mind of its own and revolted against her. 

It was then she felt something like icy fingers running down her spine,and she heard,loud and clear in the center of her mind,"Don't worry,darlin'.It'll all be over soon." 

With a cold shock of fear,she realized it was his voice.That...thing posing as a man. 

Somehow,he had taken over her body:she could almost feel him smothering her mind like a heavy,wet blanket. 

"Ain't it a bitch to be on the wrong end of a mind fuck?"He said,his 'voice' tinged with a savage edge of cruel humor. 

She could see,out of the corner of her eye,that Prometheus had frozen too;they had both been taken over by that thing. 

Screaming inside her own mind,she seemed to watch from a distance as she sat down in the warm sand,Prometheus sitting as well,unable to move a muscle as they waited for their doom to come to them. 

    14 

    Bob knew Logan wanted to lead the way,but he was careful to make sure he stayed out front,as Logan would surely kill Omen the moment he saw her.Frankly,that was probably too kind a fate for her and her friend,another telepath who must have been the 'prick' the soldier referred to earlier. 


	7. Part 7

He could feel Logan behind him,radiating hate,and the bullet wound in his chest throbbed like a migraine headache,but it wasn't anything he couldn't live with until it healed.He just wished he could heal as fast as Logan,but it was difficult to play mind tricks on yourself. 

"If you think you're going to stop me from killing her,you're dreamin',"Logan growled,as if reading his thoughts. 

Bob decided to let that go for now,and simply appeal to Logan's logical side.After all,Bob knew damn well he was going to get his way,one way or another."Before you slice and dice,don't you think we should find out why they came here?What they recovered from the broken safe in that room?" 

"I don't care,"Logan snapped back. 

"You should,"Bob replied,as he climbed up the steel rungs subbing for a ladder leading up to the broken down shack.But he had a feeling Logan suspected,at least subconsciously,what Omen and her friend had taken from the shattered table:yet he doubted his rider would let him know exactly what it was.But Bob would bet his left nut it was rare,dangerous,or both. 

Anybody who went to the trouble of building an underground fortress had a hell of a lot to hide. 

He was out the narrow door before the rest of the ragtag chorus line could climb up from below,and beyond the snoring duo of soldiers he could see two sitting figures in the sand,as motionless as people in deep meditation.Omen and her friend, Prometheus. 

He was distantly aware of their struggle against him in his mind,but it was like the faint buzz of far away insects:they hadn't a chance,and it was amusing,in a pathetic sort of way,that they actually thought they did.But they thought they were the bad asses in the mind control business,unaware of that 'pride goes before a fall ' crap.Of course,that wasn't always true,but mostly when it came to him.Still,it was never pride with him:he knew what he could take,and what he couldn't,which was admittedly very little.As far as he knew,Bellara was pretty much it. 

"Get up,Lucretia,"he said,not unkindly.That was her real name,after all. 

"Lucretia?"Logan repeated in disbelief,with a snort of amusement. 

Bob ignored him,and had the woman turn to him.She was almost pretty,in a severe and slightly plain sort of way.But still she was miles better looking than her father,whose skin resembled a stretched out leather sofa more than actual flesh.He could sense her attempt to fight back,but even she had to realize it was pointless now."Why did you come here,Lucretia?" 

Behind him,he heard the noise of Logan popping his claws;it seemed to echo in the still night air,across the otherwise empty expanse of desert. 

"Logan,"Angel said sharply,but Bob could hear the sand shift with his movements as he charged forward. 

Bob turned his head towards him,and simply said,"You can't feel your legs." 

Logan didn't collapse more than he simply crumpled,falling to his knees in the sand,weak lights glinting silver off his claws. "What the fuck...?"He gasped,equally startled and angry. 

"You'll be fine,"Bob assured him,and turned back to Lucretia."Go ahead." 

"We were out to find Enigma's secret lab,"she said mechanically. 

"Hey-what the hell did you do to me?!"Logan shouted,swiping out at him with a claw.But Bob was too far away-although just barely with those long claws of his-and Logan almost lost his balance and went crashing forward onto the sand. 

"Enigma,"Angel repeated."I've heard that name before.You've mentioned it,Logan." 

"When?"Logan snapped angrily,using his hands to keep himself from ending up face down on the ground. 

'When you were...slightly out of your mind." 

"And what the fuck does that mean?" 

Bob decided to ignore them."Who is Enigma?" 

"Wolverine's former handler." 

That seemed to bring the budding argument to a crashing end."What?"Logan said. 

"And what was in her lab that was so important?"Bob asked. 

"Something that would get rid of the Human problem." 

Now everybody was quiet."What is that,Lucretia?" 

"I don't know.It's in the case." 

"Give it to me." 

Her movements as stiff as an automaton,she did just that,withdrawing a small,white metal case from her pack and handing it to him.It looked like a fancy glass case,or one for cushioning a syringe on a harsh journey.He wasn't sure he should open it with Humans around."Why did Enigma want to get rid of the Humans?" 

"For the good of the mutant race." 

"Ahh,you think she was mutant,and referring only to normal Humans.I see." 

"What the fuck are you talking about?"Logan snapped,breaking the tense silence. 

Bob decided to confirm his theory."You've been in Logan's mind.Is Enigma still there?" 

Lucretia actually paused before replying."There's...something of her in there.I don't understand how,because she's dead." 

Bob nodded,even though he knew she couldn't really see it."When you wake up,you won't remember a thing about this.In fact,you won't know why you're here,but you will know these guys you work for are the bad guys,and maybe you've been playing for the wrong team.Good night,Lucretia." 

Her eyes closed,and she collapsed as Logan said,"Fuck no,you're not letting her off that easy." 

"It's hardly easy,Logan.I'm pretty sure I just opened a big can of worms for her."Bob glanced down at the still sitting figure of Prometheus,and said,"Get over yourself.When you wake up,you won't remember this either.Now go to sleep already." 

Prometheus sort of toppled over,his legs not completely unfolding.That would probably hurt like a son-of-a-bitch when he woke up,but Bob couldn't seem to care. 

"Come on,let's get out of here,"Bob told the rest of them."I don't want to open this where there's a prevailing wind condition." 

"You think it's that lethal?"Marcus asked,going over to Logan and helping him to his feet by grabbing his left arm.Logan looked like he resented it,but since Bob hadn't released him yet,if Logan yanked his arm away he'd end up face down in the sand. 

"I think we can't take that chance,"Bob replied,looking at the case once more.It looked so harmless,it must have been bad news. 

"We can't leave them alive,"Logan protested bitterly,and Bob was sure he sensed the anguish in that statement.Logan had his heart set on getting a pound of flesh. 

Bob looked at him,trying to modulate his pity as he knew it would only piss Logan off even further."Yes we can.Killing them would give them an easy way out;it'd be a mercy,really.See,somehow they're going to have to explain falling asleep on the job to their less than forgiving superiors,along with the fact that they failed so miserably and completely,and most of them can't even remember what the given order was.This is a cock up of major proportions,and I bet it's gonna get 'em more than a slap on the wrist."Then he added quietly,so only Logan of the super hearing could pick it up (and maybe Angel,but hell,he probably already knew),"And it ain't bringing her back,Logan." 

He looked at him sharply,giving him an acidic glare,but somewhere behind his eyes,he thought he saw that Logan had painfully come to terms with that,however reluctantly."Well,can I get the use of my legs back at least?"Logan sniped. 

Bob decided he could get him before he could do any damage,even at this proximity."You do,"he said,letting him go. 

Logan stood on his own two feet,and yanked his arm away from Marcus,but not too violently,as he was only trying to be helpful.Angel had been propping him up from the other side,but let go of Logan as soon as he had his feet again,which seemed to indicate that Angel knew him a bit better than Marcus,at least in that respect.Or,Angel had been on the receiving end of Logan fists/claws,and Marcus never had. 

Logan continued glaring at him."Don't you ever  fuck with me again." 

Bob simply smiled at him,which made him angrier,but he held the case up to keep him focused."We need to get this out of here before the Keystone Kops send another bunch of lambs to the slaughter." 

"Good idea,"Angel agreed,trying to short circuit any argument before it started. 

Bob felt a small tug at his waist,and noticed that Helga had come around to stand beside him,her tail snaking around him as she held her semi-automatic rifle up towards the sky.As much as she was into Logan's tortured loner thing,she was letting him know any aggressive move towards Bob could very well get him perforated.He was touched;he didn't know Hel cared that much.Of course,just because she was willing to shoot Logan didn't mean she wouldn't sleep with him-Hel was very situational. 

"How will we figure out what the hell it is?Who has a science degree here?"Marcus wondered. 

"I know some people who can analyze it for us.They're demons,so there shouldn't be an exposure problem." 

"But how trustworthy are they?"Angel asked. 

"Very,because I'll make them forget it as soon as we're done." 

"You're one mondo creepy dude,"Marcus said,all the humor gone from his voice. 

Bob would have denied it,but he knew,from a mortal position,that had to be very true. 

    15 

    When he appeared,she was there,standing in a sterile,brightly lit lab that looked like a high tech torture chamber,which is exactly what it was. 

"Logan,"she said,her voice as smooth as a knife blade running along silk.She was a body without a face,only partially substantial,like a ghost who refused to commit itself completely to the physical plane."I take it the little problem was taken care of." 

"Why don't you show your face?"He asked,feeling slightly disconcerted talking to a headless woman.He could tell almost nothing from her body.She was petite but seemed to have some muscle beneath the long sleeves of her red shirt,and her worn black leather pants seemed to suggest some awareness of fashion.Not typical of most government operatives. 

"We've been through this before.You don't remember my face." 

"Bullshit.You don't want me to see it.Maybe so I don't remember exactly what you did to me."He walked to the largest object in the room:the glass and adamantium tank that looked like a lidless coffin,with many strange instruments and pipes dangling over head,looking like the guts of some nightmarish H.R. Giger biomechanoid.This was the tank where it happened,wasn't it?It seemed appropriately stark and cruel. 

"And what does that mean?"Her voice turned even chillier,which he thought was impossible. 

"It means visual cues are powerful memory triggers.But worst yet is the sense of smell.If I see you,maybe I'll remember what you smelled like-and then I'll remember what role you played in this."He rapped a knuckle against the cold glass insert on the near side of the tank,a hollow noise like hitting the top of an empty coffin. 

"That's a specious argument,Logan.And besides,this predated me.I actually thought it was a bad idea." 

"How humane of you."He traced the cold top edge of the tank,and the semi-corporeal phantasm that was Enigma neared him on the opposite side.If he was reading her body language correctly,she seemed surprised."But let's cut the shit.I know you're not human.So what were you?" 

Shoulders tensed,arms crossed tightly over her chest."Just like you,I'm better than Human." 

"Uh huh.And yet not Human at all.What are we talking about here?Since you seem to be the Queen of bullshit I'll guess Belial,but not complete Belial,because they can't take up post-mortem residence in another mind.So,what?Half Belial and half-Ashrikra?Some sort of psychic demon." 

"What the fuck are you talking about?"She asked.Her voice was now as sharp as a razor,and he could sense the defensive anger on the verge of boiling over.The legendary Enigma was about to be solved."I never pegged you as the superstitious or religious  type,Logan." 

"I'm not.But I'm not an idiot either,and I know that not all extraordinary powers come from mutants.Unlike the Organization.They must have been easy to fool.Sort of like those gullible mutants who believed you had the solution to the normal Human problem,when in fact it was the solution to all of humanity-mutant and normal alike."He looked up,still seeing her as a less than perfect hologram,and smirked."Oh,except you probably figured that even though your wonderfully virulent little engineered organism would kill everything with human DNA,I would survive,because I always do." 

"What are you talking about?"She demanded. 

"Why you sent me here,to Death Valley.To protect your little project.Or,did you want me to use it?Were you gambling I hated standard issue Humans enough to let it out?" 

"They did this to you.How could you not hate them?" 

"Ah,but mutants did it too.Mutants,and you."He traced the side of the tank to the top,and sang under his breath,"Waiting for another war,and waiting for my valentine." 

She took a step back,unnerved."Since when do you sing?" 

He looked at her and smiled,and then Bob let his Logan disguise drop like the blind it was."Darling,you may be the Queen of bullshit,but I am the King."He then banished the lab around them for a blinding desert visit,where the air was so hot and dry it almost had a palpable density,like you could grab a handful and take it home with you.But unlike Death Valley,the sand in this desert was as red as blood,the sky so clear and blue it was almost unreal,the moon visible in the far corner like a cataract blinded eye.Then he 'pushed' Enigma mentally,making her show herself.Her features were delicate and Eurasian, hair short and glossy black,but her eyes were Belial blue. 

She reacted in shock,backing away from him,her striking face becoming a mask of fury."Who the fuck are you?And where is Logan?" 

"Logan,for a brief moment in his life,is safe.Wish I could say the same thing about you." 

He sensed a psychic pressure shoving up against the walls of his mind,but he shrugged it off quite easily.She was probably powerful in most demon terms-but the key word there was 'most'.Against him,she was nothing at all.And the sudden fear in  
her exotic eyes seemed to confirm that."You don't frighten me." 

"Ah,love,don't try shitting me-you're a good liar,but not that good.What was the deal?Stay alive in Logan until he could inadvertently stumble on some way to resurrect you,or did you think,once your organism waged war against Logan's DNA, he'd be out of it enough for you to come forth and take over?I can believe this was an emergency contingency plan,but a woman as smart as you must have had some grand master plan." 

She attempted defiance,crossing her arms over her chest and raising her delicately pointed chin."I don't have to answer a damn thing." 

"Well,no,but I could take the information if I want to.If you were Human,there'd be no term for it,but since you're a demon,I am free to tell you I'm a Drai'shajan.Top that." 

Although she quickly smothered it,the shock registered in her eyes long enough for him to see it,and she took another step back."They don't exist." 

"Yes they do,I'm just extremely rare.And you drew the unlucky straw.So,do you tell,or do I take it from you?" 

Her arms tightened their grip around her torso,and she took one more step back,her delicate face hardening like stone."I don't believe you." 

"No?Where are you then?" 

She gave a cursory look around before fixing him with a sharp glare once more."A desert." 

"Yes,but beyond that.Don't you notice something's different?"He eased up enough on the psychic  prison enough so that she could pick up what was beyond the boundaries (and yeah,he was right,half Ashrikra definitely). 

She swallowed hard as her distant eyes once more focused on him,her skin growing ashen in alarm,her arms falling to her sides as she tried to deal with the shock."Wh-where's Logan?I don't sense Logan...he can't be dead." 

Bob couldn't help but chuckle."Of course he can't be dead-that's exactly why you picked him.See,darlin',I changed the venue before I changed the scenery.This is my mind:welcome to it." 

Her eyes widened,her jaw going slack with shock."What?" 

"Actually,that's bullshit.This is a tiny corner of my mind,self-contained,which will collapse in on itself in a few days like an unstable wormhole.Don't you just love metaphysics?Anyhoo,that will give you time to either dissipate willingly-which I know you can do-or die hideously.The choice is yours,love,but your time ends now.Logan is your bitch no more.And you ain't strong enough or nice enough to make me yours." 

As he expected,the fury crept back back into her expression and posture,her hands clenching into fists at her sides as her lips thinned to a grim line."You couldn't possibly do that,Belial.I would know-" 

"No you would not,"he interrupted curtly."You thought I was Logan for a little bit.You never even noticed the shift.And honestly,don't you think you should have?I noticed the change in your posture when I was over by the quaint little vivisection tank.You were expecting a certain reaction-I bet Logan gets pretty emotional around that,huh?-so don't you think the fact that I didn't react how you thought should have been the giveaway?Of course,it was still too late by then,but come on,love:complacency is the death of us all." 

She advanced on him threateningly,but he held his ground,only quirking up an eyebrow in curiosity.She couldn't bluff her way out of here,and if she seriously thought she could do him any harm in his own pocket universe,she was either a moron or stupid drunk on her own misguided sense of power."Free me now,or you'll regret it." 

"Really?How do you figure?" 

"That organism you talked about-only I know how to reverse its effects.Let me die and I take the whole Human race with me." 

"Darlin',it's gone.It never got out." 

That made her pause."What?" 

"I had some demon pals of mine figure out what it was,wiped their memories sparkling clean of it,and then used a good old magic spell to vaporize that sucker,down to the last stray molecule.It's poetic justice,really:one demon creates it,and another destroys it.The great circle of life.And,uh,afterlife in your case,I suppose." 

For a moment she just stared at him,her eyes as molten as lava."This isn't the end,Belial." 

"Yes it is.For you,at any rate." 

"I haven't survived this long in a Human's brain by luck,you know." 

"I realize that.I also know,as at least part Ashrikra,you get off on pain.But how do you feel about your own?"He gestured to the vast tract of land surrounding them,the red sand stretching off into all directions as if reaching for infinity."This is the Australian Outback.Sadly,it's kind of a joke now,especially in the States,which it shouldn't be.It's not as instantly lethal as it once was,but it still kills people.There's huge amounts of nothing here,large empty spaces between outposts of civilization.I almost died here once.Before your time,and before what most people would consider 'civilization' had started coming out here,but it almost killed me.Dehydration,sunstroke,and,perhaps most importantly,loss of hope.You'd be surprised how much hope keeps you alive,and how easy it is to die once it's gone." 

"Is there a point to this?"She sniped,feigning boredom. 

"Yes,my dear.If you don't willing shuffle off this semi-mortal coil,that is the type of death you have to look forward to. Because I'm leaving you in the Botany Bay era Outback-there is no one here,and no help to be had.Once I'm gone,I'm not coming back either.I know surrender is unaccustomed to you,but at the same time,I know torture is not.This will be the worst,longest torture you never thought of,possibly worse than what you did to Logan,but not by much.It's your choice-you can go at any time,which is more than he had." 

"You will pay for this."She snarled. 

Bob shook his head,actually feeling a glimmer of pity for her."So that will be the hope that keeps you alive,huh?Ironically,I think Logan's is the same.No wonder you kind of pitied him:you know how impossible that truly is.And now it's your turn to pursue the impossible."He turned his back on her and started to walk away,towards what seemed like just more nothing, but he could make an exit appear anywhere:his world;he made the rules. 

She tried to attack him,but was repelled by the equivalent of a forcefield surrounding him,throwing her back on her butt. 

He glanced back at her,and said,"You had to know that was going to happen." 

"You can't do this to me!"She shouted angrily,getting back on her feet."I am Enigma!" 

Sad how egotism got to everyone."And I am unimpressed."The exit shimmered before him,like a worn spot in the fabric of space-time,and he walked through,the hole sealing immediately after him. 

He thought he heard her scream in rage,but he couldn't care less. 

    16 

    When you boiled it down,Logan really had no idea what had happened.But part of him really didn't want to know. 

He didn't know why he allowed himself to be talked into this anyways.Angel was adamant that if Bob thought there was 'someone' in his head,there probably was,as Bob had a 'gift' with that kind of thing.It was the second stupidest thing Logan had ever heard,but what if it was some telepath fucking around with him yet again?And while he didn't trust Bob,maybe the devil he knew was better than the one he didn't. 

When it came down to it,he sat in Bob's dreary back office,in an uncomfortable wooden chair in front of his desk,and told him,with gritted teeth,"Let's just get this over with." 

"Too late,"Bob said,leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the far corner."Already done." 

Logan wondered if that was his idea of a joke,but he didn't have that smarmy grin on his face,so probably not."What?" 

"Didn't take much.She was no match for me,"he replied,folding his hands over his flat stomach.Bob had exchanged his blue bloodstained white t-shirt for another t-shirt that looked exactly the same as the previous one. 

"It was her?" 

"Enigma?Yeah." 

"What-what did she want with me?"There was a point when things got so absurd you no longer had the energy to fight them. 

"You were her emergency contingency plan.About to die,she put a fragment of her mind in you,latent but still very much there.She had enough Ashrikra in her to pull that off." 

"And Ashrikra is..?" 

"A type of demon.Psychically gifted but really unpleasant son of a bitches,the lot of 'em.They get off on pain,so it's not unusual to find them in positions where they can inflict it:third world dictator,prison guard,executioner,torturer,chat show host..." 

Logan shook his head."Whatever,I don't care."He still couldn't quite grasp all this demon crap.No that wasn't true-he didn't want to.Of course,they didn't smell human,so he had to believe his nose,he just hated admitting it."I still don't get what she was hoping to achieve." 

"Well,it was a last minute thing,but she had two basic hopes:one was that something would compromise your conscious mind long enough for her to take over,but even she knew what a long shot that was considering what a stubborn bastard you are.And you know I mean that as a compliment,mate:if you weren't such a pigheaded son of a bitch you'd probably be a gibbering wreck by now." 

Logan raised an eyebrow,wondering if that was a backhanded compliment or Bob just trying to be funny.The expression on his too good looking to be true face was studiously neutral,as if he had been practicing that look in the mirror for hours. 

"So she had most of her hope pinned on number two,"Bob continued,either not noticing the look on Logan's face or simply ignoring it."That a means of resurrection would present itself,and she would be able to steer you to it with subliminal and not so subliminal messages filtered through your subconscious.She's been in there a while too:she was tangled in your mind like kudzu.In a strange way,it was a sort of symbiotic relationship." 

"Meaning?" 

"Meaning if a telepath tried to dig too deep into your mind,she'd kick them out,which is probably how Lucretia got wind of her in the first place." 

"But she was protecting me to protect herself." 

Bob touched the tip of his nose."Got it in one.See?I knew you were bright." 

Logan glared at him,not appreciating the condescension."So you killed her." 

"No,I moved her.I'm giving her the option of a dignified suicide,but she's so bloody arrogant I don't know if she'll take it. Well,she'll die anyways,but some people just can't handle the truth." 

"You moved her?She's in your mind now?"Logan wasn't sure if this was still absurd or completely surreal. 

Bob gave him a small smile with lips that had the faintest blue undertone,like a hypothermia victim just pulled out of the icy water."My mind is not a hospitable place for her.She will wither and die in it,unable to take root.As I'd hoped you learned from the telepaths we encountered,my mind is a bit like a high voltage current:nothing can enter,and if through some bizarre set of circumstances something does,it doesn't leave alive.Ask Angel-the last thing that got in my head ended up oozing out my ear.Not pretty." 

Okay:he didn't even want to know.But Logan felt strangely...what?Disappointed?He thought if there was something in his head,once it was gone he'd feel different.But he didn't.He felt exactly the same as before,and worst of all,like the same person as before.Damn it. 

"Ah,but things are different,Logan,whether you know it or not.Your mind is your own now.Any instinct you have,any gut feeling,is one hundred percent yours."Bob said,rocking back gently in his chair. 

Logan glanced at him,startled."I thought you said you weren't a telepath." 

"You know I'm not.I just read people very well.I'm a Belial;it's a trick we learn early on." 

"You're not a Belial,"Logan countered,feeling like he was on safe ground."I've met a Belial,I've smelled them,and you don't smell like one." 

"Ralph was young,and at that stage of development we're all idiots.I'm sure we smell different too." 

Logan shook his head."People buy that shit?" 

"They buy all my shit.It's a gift." 

"What are you really?" 

Bob sat forward,letting his feet fall off the desk before he completely pulled himself forward,a strange smile on his face:it was the type of approving smile a teacher might give a slow student who was starting to finally come along."I don't know,Logan. Who are you?Really." 

Logan just stared at him,not enraged more than humiliated by the question.He didn't know,did he?And maybe that was Bob's point."I don't know.Why don't you tell me." 

Bob's smile grew broader:the slow student was finally waking up."I would if I could,mate,but they've done some job on you. I'd say they tried to drive you nuts,not just fuck with you at some fundamental level.But be completely honest with me here: if I told you that right now,right this minute,I could make you remember everything about your entire life,would you take me up on it?Would you say yes?" 

"Yeah,"Logan replied sharply,and then,before he could catch himself,blurted out,"No."His mind was his own again,right?So what the hell was that?He shook his head,and ruefully admitted,"I don't know." 

"I know you don't.Because the more you remember the more you understand why you tried to forget it." 

He glared at the smug creature who called himself Bob,and wondered if he had any hope of jumping over the desk and skewering him before the guy could do whatever it was he did.He still hadn't figured that out-he just seemed to tell them to do things,and they did it.He was like a General,but with a lot more charm."I haven't tried to forget anything.They made me..." 

"For the most part,yes,"Bob interrupted."But you know Logan,deep in your heart,there were things you never wanted to remember,and still don't.Who doesn't?It's part of being human." 

"And what would you know about being human?" 

Bob continued to give him that irritating smile-didn't he ever get angry?"Not as much as you,but enough.We actually have a lot in common,Logan." 

That actually made him chuckle."Yeah,sure.In some freaked out bizarro world." 

"I'm quite serious.Time has wounded us both,and no matter how much you want to forget,it leaves a stain on your soul. That's why what happened to Naomi hit you so hard.It brings back the pain of so much loss even if it doesn't bring back the specific memories." 

Logan's stomach seemed to cramp at the very mention of her name,and he decided he was done listening to this guy's shit. "Whatever.Have fun talking to yourself." 

He stood up and turned to go,but before he got very far,Bob asked,"Do you know how many loved ones you've lost, Logan?" 

"I don't have any loved ones,"he snapped,feeling his shoulders tense.Didn't this guy ever shut up?Well,no-obviously he was in love with the sound of his own voice. 

"Yes you did,Logan.I can see that in you." 

He turned around,and held up his middle finger."Can you see this?" 

But Bob just kept on yammering."The worst part is it feels humiliating.You're so strong,so above mortality,and yet you can ultimately do nothing to protect the people you love from harm." 

"Don't you ever shut up?" 


	8. Part 8

"It really hit me when I buried my first family,"Bob continued,making Logan freeze in his tracks.He wasn't sure he had said what he thought he'd just heard."The littlest one,Iain,died first.Tuberculosis attacks the weakest first and works its way up, like any disease.Then Katie,which seemed logical,as she was just a child,and only half demon.Not enough,not at her age.This was still in the early years of the Botany Bay colony,everyone was pretty much on their own,so I had to wrap my kids up and bury them out back.I can't even describe what that's like,but I have a feeling I really don't have to,not to you.And then I got to go back to the house and watch Maggie,my wife,slowly fade away and die from the same thing. 

"If I was her,I think I'd have cursed me,for being immune,for living beyond her and the kids.But she never did.And when she finally did die I just felt spent.I knew I'd outlive most people,and I'd be going through scenarios like this for a very long time. I would be untouched by illness,by time,while all around me would slowly succumb and die.Even if I kept myself removed from everyone-an impossibility,since Belials are social creatures:we are not made to be hermits-I'd still see it happen on a much wider scale:cities,towns,countries.I'd watch it all crumble to dust  while I could do nothing but stand and watch.I couldn't bear the thought. 

"I set our house on fire.I couldn't bear the idea of burying Maggie too,I just couldn't.So I wrapped her up in bedsheets,took one of our lanterns and chucked it into the living room.I watched everything burn,and I thought I might stay to burn too, but I could barely stand the house smelling of sickness and death:smelling Maggie's burned flesh would put me right over.So I decided to go for a walk in the Outback." 

Logan had no idea why he was standing here listening to this.Maybe Bob had done something to keep him here,or his voice really was hypnotic. 

"This was back when they still used ships to get to the other side of Australia,because no one had successfully crossed the Outback.Everyone who ventured out there had either died horribly or had never been seen again-which just means the dingos ate every last bit of 'em before their bodies could be found.I figured if anything was gonna kill me,demon or not,it would be that place.I guess I wandered out for a couple of days,I got ill and delirious,but sadly never close really that close to death.As my rotten luck would have it,I was found by a group of Aborigines who recognized me as an Old One.Not one of the Old Ones,one of those big ass crazy making gods,but an 'Old One',which is the Aboriginal term for all demons,all beings that walked the Earth before Humankind.See,they weren't judgmental,which is what the term demon really is:they knew we weren't all bad.And they knew  I wasn't one of the evil,'kill 'em all' types,so they dragged my carcass back to their encampment,and helped get me back into shape.Of course,I was also entertainment:everyone had to come see what an Old One looked like,and I was a bit disappointing,I think,because I looked so much like one of those goddamn settlers.And I was disappointed because I wasn't dead.But I learned something I feel I have to pass on to you."He sat forward,resting his forearms on his desk and clasping his hands together,looking for all the world like a teacher about to deliver a lecture.But hadn't he done that already?"It feels like a curse,Logan,to outlive so many,to exist almost out of time while everyone else is carried along by it,and maybe it is a curse.But we also owe something to the people who love us in spite of it.Time will consume them,they know that,but not us.And we have a duty to remember them:if we love them,we will remember them. Because who would ever remember Maggie Langford,sent to Botany Bay on prostitution and theft charges,if not for me? She's not even a footnote in the history books.No one knew her,and no one knows her now.Except me.As long as I live,a part of her lives too.Iain and Katie too.They are in my head,and they will be until I go completely mental or something finally takes me out. 

"And you knew Naomi before what happened.Now it's your duty to remember her,Logan.Even if those ten years weren't taken from her,time would have taken her eventually.You know that,she knew that.So the Naomi before has to live in you now.Do you  think you can handle that?Do you think you can live with that?" 

Logan felt so strange he was sure Bob was doing something to him.He felt almost light headed,his heart skipping a beat as a thought suddenly struck him like a fist."Can you give it back?" 

"What?" 

"Her memory.You fuck with people's heads-can you give back what Lethe took from her?" 

He grimaced apologetically,shaking his head slowly."I can't put back what isn't there.If her memory was simply repressed,no problem.But from what I understand,they were burnt out of her.I can't do anything about that:I can't work with what  no longer exists." 

"Lethe probably burned 'em out of me,but I'm starting to remember.Why can't-" 

"Your mutation,Logan.You heal,even from things as devastating as that.Can Naomi heal like that?" 

He remembered seeing that cast on her arm,and tasted something sour in the back of his throat as what brief hopes he had died quite violently."No."He turned back to the door,gripping the knob so tight he was dimly aware he might shatter it.But for a moment he thought he had found a way to save her. 

"She doesn't need saving,"Bob said suddenly."She is alive and well.Why don't  you go and see for yourself?" 

Logan spun on his heels and gave Bob a look hot enough to boil metal,stalking towards his desk with one fist raised.He hadn't popped his claws,but he was ready to do so."Fuck if you're not a fucking telepath,you bastard!How could you know what I was thinking?!" 

"Because,Logan,it's your hope,"the blue eyed  man replied casually,not at all scared of him like he should have been."You run on two things:the need for revenge,and the belief that you can somehow find a way to right all wrongs.You'd think they were the same things,but no,far from it.That's the most bizarre thing about you:for all your bad ass bluster-which,I gotta admit,is impressive:if I was mortal,you'd probably make me piss my pants-you're a softie." 

"Take that back,"he snarled,feeling his face flush with heat.God,he wanted to kill this smart ass,know it all bastard so bad. 

"Why?It's true.And it's not an insult.In fact,I think that's the most impressive thing about you-you still care.After all the shit that's happened to you,Logan,why do you still care?" 

That question stopped him in his tracks.He was confused by the mixed signals Bob was throwing off.Fuck-Bob had to be the most single irritating person he had ever met.Well,next to Cyclops."I don't care about you." 

"Technically,I'm sure you don't.But if something big and nasty crashed through that wall and came after me,I bet you'd still attack it.Because you don't like to see anyone hurt like you've been hurt." 

Logan stared at him for a very long moment,feeling dizzy again.Bob had to be doing something to him,or he was so angry his head was literally going to explode."You watch a lot of Oprah,don't you?" 

"The longer you stay,the more uncomfortable this is going to get for you,"Bob said,and while it could be construed as a threat,he got the idea meant it simply as a friendly warning."Besides,I believe you have some unfinished business in New York to take care of,so don't let me stop you." 

"You never could,"he snapped,turning back to the door and stalking out.He felt compelled to get away from Bob before he...well,before he did something else. 

"And if you ever need help,call me,"Bob called out after him."Unlike Angel,I can travel in daylight.And they haven't invented the thing that can kick my ass." 

Logan peered cautiously back through the doorway at him."And why would you ever help me?" 

Bob gave him a huge,shit eating grin,and drawled,"I'm in it for the kicks,mate." 

And the freakiest thing was,Logan was sure that was true. 

17 

TWO DAYS LATER  
Westchester,New York 

    Logan leaned against his motorcycle in the 7-11 parking lot,and once again stared at the telephone booth as he lit up another cigar,wondering if he should call or just go back up to Canada. 

Shit:he hated feeling wishy washy.He wasn't;in fact,he felt confident that he was simply not the ambivalent type.But there was a small possibility Jean would toss him in a cage until she was sure he wouldn't go berserker on her or the rest of them, and he didn't feel like spending the afternoon in lockdown.Or unconscious. 

He had just decided he'd be wasting his time when he heard a voice say,"You do have to pick it up and punch in a number to make it work." 

He glanced over his shoulder to see Jean standing at the very edge of the parking lot,downwind from him so she'd have the drop for once."I was testing to see if I had telekinesis,"he said,attempting to make a joke. 

She smiled weakly as she glanced down nervously at the cracked macadam,and he asked,"Are the snipers in position?" 

She looked up somewhat sharply,her brow creasing in confusion as her loose auburn hair spilled over her shoulders,framing her face as if she had planned it that way."Logan-" 

"There's no need to bullshit me.Hell,I don't suppose I could blame you after I acted like such a..."he struggled to find the right word. 

"Ass?"She offered. 

He shrugged."I was gonna say dick,but same difference." 

It was a warm day,the sky clear but a strange washed out color,as if it couldn't muster the strength to be completely blue.He knew his clothes were too heavy for the weather,he was sweating and aware of the heat radiating from the blacktop,but he was still North bound:the closer he got to the border,the cooler it was likely to be.But what was Jean's excuse?She was wearing a dark blue coat over her jeans and t-shirt,far too much for this climate.It made him wonder if she was really headed someplace else too.Or trying to hide an adamantium proof vest. 

"I know what happened,Logan.He told me all about it." 

He looked at her curiously through the veil of cigar smoke between them."Huh?What are you talking about?" 

"That Australian guy who calls himself Maximum Bob.He called me and explained that you were under the influence of a tele-empath and weren't quite yourself." 

Logan felt the cigar fall out out of his mouth,but since it was a cheap cigar he didn't care.As soon as the initial shock wore off,he rolled his eyes and violently ground the cigar out on the blacktop."Son of a bitch.That guy is too much." 

"Is something wrong?" 

He shook his head,smirking to himself."He is one of the most most annoying men I have ever met.Except your boyfriend. Although you may want to tell Scott he's gotta work harder to top this guy." 

She scowled at him for that,like he thought she would,but she moderated it with a sympathetic look."Was he lying?" 

"No,but...I don't know know how much an influence I was under then.Truth is,Jean,I really want you guys to leave me alone sometimes.Sometimes I want everybody to just leave me the fuck alone."He grimaced in embarrassment,glancing down at the interesting pattern of cracks on the pavement."I'm not sure I can blame it all on Erasmus."He glanced up at her,into her wary hazel eyes."But I'd never hurt you deliberately,Jean.You have to believe that." 

"I do,"she replied,but then her eyes narrowed and turned to stone."But if you ever talk to me in that way again,I'll put you through the side of a building.Got it?" 

He nodded,giving her a proud smile."Now you're getting it.I wouldn't expect less." 

She smiled back,her expression thawing,but she glanced away before it got too warm."Bob indicated that the empath was hoping to break down your psychic walls,so a telepathic conspirator could recover some information about one of your tortures.He said you figured it out and stopped it." 

Logan sighed wearily."That's not completely true.I had help." 

"Angel?"She guessed.He saw the curiosity in her eyes,in the quirk of her eyebrow.But he simply could not say the word vampire seriously. 

"A bit.And Scorpion and Bob,and his weird ass girlfriend Helga." 

"Helga?" 

"Helga."He assured her,nodding.Who knew anyone outside of Northern Europe was named Helga anymore?Especially green women with grabby tails and a penchant for double entendres and ass kicking. 

"So where is Scorpion?" 

"He thought he heard of a government experimental outpost near Mexico City,so he went to check it out." 

"You didn't go with him?Why?" 

He shrugged,suddenly feeling very uncomfortable."I had some unfinished business here." 

She smiled faintly,giving him an almost affectionate look,that convinced him old One Eye probably wasn't here watching from the roof of the dry cleaner's across the street.She seemed to realize she was close to crossing some line,so she changed the subject."So tell me about this Bob.He warned me not to try and read him over the phone,but claimed he wasn't quite a mutant,just a mercenary for the good guys." 

"Bob is..."he began,but then realized he didn't know what to say."Bob is a fucking freak." 

That seemed to surprise her."He sounded very charming to me,almost sweet." 

"That's his scam.He calls himself the King of bullshitters,and he's right." 

She raised an eyebrow at him."You don't like him?" 

That was a harder question to answer than he thought it would be."He's just...a lot to take.He generally means well,for all the good that does." 

"Is he a mutant?" 

After all his fudging with what Angel was,he knew he was probably pushing it to fudge with Bob,so he decided to be honest and let her think he was nuts."No.He's not Human." 

Her eyebrows raised above startled,wide eyes."What is he,then?" 

"I don't really know."He paused,then admitted,"He smells like power.And he's so strong he makes the Professor seem like a lip reader." 

"He's that powerful a psychic?" 

"He's not a psychic.He's a...I don't think there's a word for him.But if I knew him a couple of months ago,we never would have had to have gone after Magneto.We could have stayed in the mansion and played video games while Bob made himself a snack and took him out." 

She pursed her lips in genuine shock,weighing the odds that he was being hyperbolic before asking,"Would he be interested in joining the team?" 

"Bob doesn't need a team.He's a one man army." 

"Like you?"She asked,smiling in barely concealed amusement. 

He raised an eyebrow at her and scowled,but he knew she didn't mean it in a bitchy way."Me squared.By a few thousand." 

"It's a good thing he's not evil." 

"I don't think it's as much as fun,"he admitted,but before she could ask what he meant,he decided to change the subject.He'd had more than enough Bob for now."Umm,look,Jean,I have a favor to ask." 

Her look was slightly skeptical,but not unfriendly."What?" 

He swallowed his doubt and fear,and asked,"Can you tell me where Naomi is?" 

*** 

    Control frowned down at the report uploaded to his palm pilot,and as soon as he was done skimming it,tossed it across the room,where it seemed to disintegrate on impact with the wall.Cheap technology. 

"This is impossible,"he told the adjutant who stood cringing by the door. 

"I know,sir,"the little man agreed,barely coming out of his snivel. 

The team sent to intercept Omen had not only failed in its objective-Omen was nowhere to be found,although Erasmus,her sneaky weasel of a father had been recovered from the site-but almost none of them could even remember why they were sent there in the first place.And the scans of the team were less than enlightening."It must be a new way of erasing memories.That has to be it,"he insisted vehemently. 

"But the Doctors say no memory engrams have been removed.As far as they can tell,they were...well,undone." 

"How?" 

The adjutant shook his head and made several helpless gestures with his hands."They have no idea.There's speculation a new type of mutant is responsible." 

"Well of course a new type of mutant is responsible,"he roared angrily,before struggling to get his temper under control. 

Those with rudimentary memories had identified Wolverine as being part of the group,with a man who may have been Scorpion;an unknown mutant who fit the general description of the elusive 'Angel';and  a green skinned woman who was yet another unidentified mutant for the books. 

But the fourth man... 

No one remembered his face. 

The best description was he "looked kinda normal",but that was describing his body.He was "tallish",and "sorta muscular",but that was the best anyone could do.He must have had a face,but it seemed to be beyond anyone's memory,even those whose memories were still intact. 

But Control figured he had a name,courtesy of Erasmus. 

The old mushbrain had no idea how he had ended up there,where his daughter was,or what had happened,but he did remember one thing:a message to them from someone who called themselves 'Maximum Bob' (Erasmus insisted he had never met anyone by that name,but the thought was stuck in his head).This Bob's message was short and arrogant:"Leave the area while you still have the option." 

So they had a new mutant on the hard target list:a faceless man who seemed to leave memory engrams spotlessly clean,who went by the name Maximum Bob,and was so up his own ass he thought he could actually threaten the Organization.Of course,if he left a message for Erasmus to give them,was Bob off their radar for good? 

"Put the search for this Bob on hold for now,"he told the adjutant,rubbing his pounding temples.He was working for the betterment of mankind,so why did these goddamn mutant problems never go away?No matter what they did,it seemed to get worse. 

The young man,whose soft,pale face could have been molded straight from Play-Doh,looked startled."Sir?" 

"He'll come to us.Obviously he's such an arrogant prick he thinks he can take us.Let him come.We'll be ready for him." 

The aide's face twisted as if he smelled something bad,and Control glared up from his desk at the little pip squeak. "What?Spit it out." 

Hesitantly,the doughy boy asked,"If he can completely revert memories or whatever...how would we ever know he attacked?" 

Control just stared at him,not sure what to say. 

That was honestly a very good question,and he couldn't even begin to answer it. 

*** 

    Jean's address took him to a quaint Victorian style house on a large tract of land in Upstate New York,and Logan was sure  the Professor must have owned it without having to be told that he did.It just seemed like his style. 

He idled his bike at the end of the long gravel driveway,and mulled over whether he could do this or not when the wind shifted,a cool breeze hit his face,bringing with it the scent of apple trees and water,and something else,something familiar... her. 

He killed the engine,and rather than walk up to he house he walked around the side of the house towards the back,the directionfrom which the wind had come. 

He found her out back in a small apple tree grove,practicing-of all things-archery:a large padded target,as big and round as a garbage can lid,sat upright on what looked like a tripod about sixty feet away from her,in the shade of the grove.Two slim, metal shafted arrows were sticking out of the target already-one about twelve degrees west of center,the other almost dead center,off by only about a half an inch or so. 

He watched as she nocked up another arrow in a black bow half as long as her,the line of her back rigid but graceful as she held the bow pulled back for a few silent seconds,then let it go,the arrow thunking into the target two inches southwest of the arrow in the bull's eye. 

He let out a low whistle,and she turned sharply towards him,mildly startled."You're good,"he told her. 

It took her a moment to recognize him,he saw the hesitancy in her blue eyes,but finally she seemed to remember him,and her posture relaxed slightly as she glanced at the target."I was once on an archery team,believe it or not,as a kid.I had lots of Robin Hood fantasies." 

"Let me guess:you were never Maid Marian." 

"Hell no-I was Robin.He was my bitch."She replied,smiling,and he chuckled.Thinking about it,it probably explained why she was such a crack shot when firing off electricity:she'd already had some practice. 

She was wearing a red camisole under an open chambray shirt that matched the washed out blue of her faded jeans, short,bright red hair messy and starting to show its darker roots,but she looked unbelievably lovely,so much so that he felt something like a twinge in his stomach that momentarily made it hard for him to breathe.God,why was he doing this?She barely even recognized him. 

She seemed to glance around over his shoulder,and then asked,"Is Angel with you?" 

"No,I was just...in the area,I thought I'd see how you were doing." 

She seemed a bit disappointed."Oh." 

A momentary surge of jealousy-oh,she had a thing for Angel now,did she?-was quickly squashed when he realized Angel had spent a lot more time with her after...after Lethe than he had.He had avoided her,and she must have picked up on that. Angel stood by like a good and supportive friend,while he did a disappearing act. 

Ah,fuck.He never thought of himself as a coward,but he had been;he realized that now.And it filled him with so much shame he could have beat the crap out of himself.But he swallowed it back as best he could,and asked,"How are you doing?" 

She shrugged,resting her bow against the nearest tree."It's weird thinking I lost ten years of my life,but I'm okay.I'm catching up on things.There's a lot of stuff my parents can't tell me,though-apparently,I was gone a lot." 

"You were off playing Robin Hood,"he said,before he could stop himself. 

Naomi gave him a genuinely curious look for the first time."Did you know me then?" 

He wanted to tell her that he did,give her some hope of filling in those blanks,but having been lied to about the blanks in his own mind,he couldn't do that to her."No.But you told me about it sometimes." 

She studied his face with a scrutiny he found uncomfortable,and the wind picking up and blowing her scent back in his direction just made things worse.But finally,she said,"Tell me about it." 

"You never went into a lot of detail,really.Just that you and I had a lot in common:traveled a lot,kind of avoided people." 

"Because we're mutants." 

"And because we had some assholes after us.The ones who..."he trailed off,not able to say it because it felt like a lie. 

"Did this to me?"She said,filling in the blanks. 

"Yeah,"he agreed,then shook his head.Shit,he couldn't lie to her,no matter how much easier it made things."But what happened-it was supposed to happen to me." 

Her dark eyebrows raised slightly,but she kept her face otherwise neutral."What?" 

"The person who...did that,she was going for me,not you.You got in the way." 

"On accident?" 

"On purpose.You saved my life,I guess you could say.Well,ten of its fifteen years."At her dubious look,he added,"My memory only goes back fifteen years.They got to me before,a long time ago." 

She nodded in understanding,and seemed to think about it for a long moment,where only the noise of the wind through the trees filled in the awkward space of silence.Finally,she said,"I was playing Robin Hood,huh?" 

"Something like that,yeah." 

Naomi approached him slowly,her bare feet making a soft noise in the grass,and the look she gave him was genuinely appraising."Were we more than friends,Logan?" 

It was almost painful to look at her;in the direct light of the sun,she looked like she must have looked as a teenager,the emotions just beneath the surface of her expression.And the most painful thing of all was no recollection:not a hint,not a glimmer.It was just a sort of mildly horrified curiosity.He hoped it was over the fact that she had no memories of it and not simply due to him,but he wasn't about to ask and remove all doubt. 

The sun made him squint,but he didn't know how to blame it for the lump in his throat.God,he needed a beer."You were the best friend I've ever had,Naomi,"he told her,and it didn't feel like a lie. 

The worst part was,Logan knew now that 'were' was the operative word:memories made up so much of who you were,time and experience,he doubted the Naomi he had known would ever show up again.Of course,much of her was still in this Naomi,and she might come very close to being the one he had known,but she could not be the same one,not ever again.Her memories would not return in time:she would become a new Naomi,make new memories,and move on from that gap in her life and her mind. 

Logan wondered if he ever would. 

To his surprise,Naomi hugged him,and although it seemed awkward for a moment,he welcomed the feeling of her against him one more time,the familiar and missed sensation of low level electricity humming along his skin,tickling like the feet of insects crawling on his flesh.He held her tight,careful not to crush her,as she said,into his neck,"I'm sorry,Logan." 

"You have nothing to be sorry for,"he said,giving her a kiss on the top of her head.He closed his eyes and just breathed in the scent of her,knowing that it would probably be the last time. 

"I'm sorry I don't remember you,"she said,and it was like a punch to the gut.But it wasn't anything he didn't know:it was just the confirming of it that seemed brutal. 

"It's okay,"he said,as soon as he was sure he could talk without choking on his own words."I remember you." 

He reluctantly let her go,and she continued to give him a questioning look,as if she hadn't understood what he said,but he couldn't really explain it.In fact,he was reasonably sure he had to get out of here before he made an even bigger ass out of himself."Be well,"he told her,giving her a final kiss on the cheek."Be happy,Naomi.You deserve it."He turned and walked away before he could change his mind,and it felt like his heart was being slowly cut out of his chest.Sadly,he had had much much worse. 

"Hey,Logan,"she said tentatively.He glanced back at her,and she attempted a brave smile."Drop by whenever you're in the area,okay?It's always nice to see a friendly face." 

He nodded."It is.And I will."But he knew that might be a lie. 

Once back at his bike,he had to sit for a moment and catch his breath,and he didn't know why:it felt like he'd just taken a lightning bolt in the chest.In a way,he suppose he had. 

It had been good to see her,though.She was safe and well,and maybe that thought would help him sleep at night. 

Well,it couldn't hurt. 

Logan kick started the bike,and drove off down the black ribbon of highway,headed towards the Canadian border,back to a past that wouldn't rest so easily. 

A past that probably wasn't worth remembering,but he would go on,as he had no other choice. 

None of them really did. 

THE END  



End file.
